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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24258460">*Ducktales* Reboot Death Scenarios</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daydream46000/pseuds/Daydream46000'>Daydream46000</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brothers &amp; Sisters - Freeform, Canon Related, Coping, Crying, DO NOT POST ELSEWHERE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!!, Divergent Timelines, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Needs A Hug, Family Dynamics, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Middle Sibling Dewey Duck, Mild Blood &amp; Gore, Multiple Selves, Older Sibling Huey Duck, Psychological Trauma, Scrooge McDuck Has Feelings, Tears, Therapy, Triplets, Younger Sibling Louie Duck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:14:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>71,378</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24258460</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daydream46000/pseuds/Daydream46000</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What would’ve happened if some of these characters didn’t make it out alive during the canon episodes of this series?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Huey Duck &amp; Dewey Duck &amp; Louie Duck &amp; Everyone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>103</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>146</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>DuckTales 'verse</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. *The Shadow War! (S1E23)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I DO NOT OWN *Ducktales (2017)*!! All CANON dialogues are credited to the WRITERS/CREATORS/PRODUCERS/DIRECTORS of the show!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Everyone struggles to cope with Scrooge McDuck's tragic death after the final battle against Magica De Spell in *Shadow War (S1E23)*. Will Dewey be able to overcome his extreme guilt and remorse?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****6 APRIL****</b>
</p><p>It was too late. Scrooge was <em> dead</em>. Nothing else had mattered in that moment as the four kids formed a circle around his mutilated body. The others were too shocked to form proper words. Donald’s eyes had filled with tears, but the numbness in his chest refused to let them fall—<em>yet</em>.</p><p>“No!” Webby whispered before muffling her quiet sobs with both sleeves. <em> We’re </em> <b> <em>too late</em></b><em>! </em> She thought, intense sadness etched onto her face.</p><p>Meanwhile, the triplets continued gazing at their uncle’s still form, hoping that this was just a terrible nightmare and that they’d wake up and hear his voice either lecturing them about something they’d most likely ignore anyway, but that didn’t happen.</p><p>Suddenly, the middle triplet abruptly stood up as feelings of self-loathing, grief, and remorse punched him in the gut. After repeatedly uttering the word <em> no</em>, he ran away from the money bin and went upstairs to his room, closing the door. Soon, he fell onto his knees and started sobbing hysterically.</p><p>Huey and Louie immediately caught up to him as the oldest triplet hugged their middle sibling, running his fingers through Dewey’s hair in order to console him. Unfortunately, Huey couldn’t contain his own tears as they soaked his immediate younger brother’s head feathers.</p><p>“No no no no no....!” Dewey moaned, big fat tears falling on his older brother’s T-shirt. Huey continued to shush him quietly while planting a soft yet long kiss into his wet hair, which now tasted like sea salt. Afterwards, Louie slowly buried his face in Dewey’s lap and failed to stifle his own hiccuping sobs.</p><p>Back in Scrooge’s money bin, Fenton rubbed Donald’s back while he silently cried into his hands. Launchpad held Webby close to him while they both openly mourned over their loss. Bentina quickly called the local morgue and struggled not to cry while explaining the current situation.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>****12 APRIL****</strong>
</p><p>Six days flew by, and things weren’t gonna get better anytime soon, considering the triplets had blatantly <em>refused</em> to celebrate their upcoming 11th birthday. But Huey knew he had to try, so he stayed by Dewey’s bedside and continuously offered him comfort whenever the blue triplet needed it.</p><p>“It’ll be okay, Dew. I promise. One day, it <em> will </em> be okay,” Huey said soothingly while caressing Dewey’s wild hair. The latter shook his head vigorously, face scrunched up and voice incredibly hoarse from crying nonstop.</p><p>“N-No! No it won’t—!” he blubbered. “It’ll <em> never </em> be okay again! Because—! B-Because....it’s all my fault!” Dewey added before dissolving into more sobs. Huey gazed at him empathetically before climbing under the blue covers and quickly wrapping his arms around the younger duckling.</p><p>“Hey hey hey, it’s <em> not </em> your fault, bro. It’s not your fault. No one blames you for what happened,” the red triplet reassured him.</p><p>“B-But you <em> should</em>! Y-You should hate me—!” Dewey tried to argue while wiping his bloodshot and swollen eyes, but his big brother wouldn’t have it.</p><p>“<em>Never</em>, d’you hear me? I could never hate you,” he countered, his tone firm yet full of fierce love. The middle brother soon fell asleep in Huey’s arms, subconsciously listening to his older brother’s soothing heartbeat.</p><p>Huey then planted another kiss on top of Dewey’s forehead. “Sweet dreams, little bro. I love you,” he whispered in his ear before losing himself to sleep, arms still wrapped around the middle triplet’s body.</p><p>Meanwhile, Louie found himself in a constant spiral, mediating between denial and depression. Every now and then, he shed a few tears, though the numbness had finally succumbed his mind and body. Three days before the funeral was set in stone, however, the talented schemer wept heavily in Bentina’s arms.</p><p>“S-Sorry, Mrs. B. I didn’t mean to get your shirt all wet,” Louie sniffled, wiping away the remaining tears from his face.</p><p>“Oh, it’s alright, Louie. Take all the time you need,” the former agent comforted him.</p><p>Donald and Webby weren’t doing much better either, though it brought them closer together. At one point, Webby woke up screaming from a horrific nightmare she had regarding the billionaire’s death, and so Donald immediately held her close to him and shushed her while rubbing soothing circles on her back.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>****16 APRIL****</strong>
</p><p>Four days later, Huey finally succumbed to his own grief and sorrow, sobbing uncontrollably in Fenton’s arms while he shed tears of sympathy for his best friend. It was during Scrooge’s funeral, which was planned late due to somewhat inevitable circumstances.</p><p>“Hue....” the superhero muttered sadly, holding the boy close and gently stroking his hair in a parental manner. Fenton then rubbed his own eyes rigorously, hoping the redness wouldn’t show, but it did.</p><p>“Oh sweetie! ¿Que paso? What’s wrong?” his mother suddenly asked. Fenton almost jumped out of his seat, having forgotten that she was sitting right next to him on the other side.</p><p>“M'ma!” he whimpered, adjusting Huey’s body so that his head was resting on Fenton’s stomach. The boy then closed his eyes, having fallen asleep due to an intense amount of crying.</p><p>“I’m <em> so </em>sorry, pollito,” she said in a low voice, ushering him to scoot closer to her. It was difficult due to Huey’s heavy weight, but Fenton managed nonetheless.</p><p>“Don’t worry about me, M'ma. Honestly, I’m more concerned about how Huey’s gonna get through this,” Fenton confessed, staring at the 11-year-old boy’s sleeping form.</p><p>“He will, mijo. As long as you’re there for him, he definitely will,” she said reassuringly.</p><p>“Is this how it was when Dad died?” Fenton exclaimed with tears evident in his voice. “God! I don’t even remember!”</p><p>“Oh my poor baby....” the police officer murmured, rubbing her son’s back while his body shook uncontrollably.</p><p>“I’m gonna help him get through this—no matter what,” the younger duck declared, choking up as he caressed the red triplet’s hair once more.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>****23 APRIL****</strong>
</p><p>Another week passed by and Louie finally opened up to his brothers. Tears welled in Dewey’s eyes again as he enveloped his only little brother in a firm hug. Huey soon joined them and vowed to always be there for his siblings.</p><p>“A-Are we ever gonna get through this?” Louie stuttered through hiccuping sobs.</p><p>“We will. Not now, but it will be,” Dewey reassured him shakily before quickly kissing his forehead.</p><p>“Yeah....one day,” Huey added, smiling sadly as he leaned into his brothers’ embrace.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>****27 JANUARY****</strong>
</p><p>Nine months later, their mother miraculously returned from the dead. In other words....the <em>Moon</em>. Donald ultimately decided not to go on the luxurious cruise his nephews had booked for him in fear of leaving them behind....like Scrooge did.</p><p>"Huey, Dewey, Louie....meet your mother: <em>Della Duck</em>," Donald finally introduced them to their long-lost relative.</p><p>"Ha! I'm part-robot, I knew it!" Dewey exclaimed with pure excitement. Huey soon followed with more questions about her decade-long journey to the Moon and back, while Louie was more skeptical about her unexpected arrival, convinced that his mother was either a curse from Magica or travelled from a parallel universe.</p><p>Luckily, neither of those assumptions were true. Soon, he gave in and joined his family's embrace while Webby shed tears of joy for this wonderful moment. And speaking of great moments....</p><p>"So uh....where's Uncle Scrooge then? Is he on some kind of business trip right now, or....?" Della suddenly asked her sons a few hours later.</p><p>"Um...." Huey started hesitantly.</p><p>"W-Well...." Dewey stammered, blinking back unshed tears after a long time.</p><p>"About that...." Louie began, chuckling nervously.</p><p>This marked the day Della Duck had fainted.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. *The Depths of Cousin Fethry! (S2E2)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tragedy occurs before returning to the sub. How will the others find out? Also, Gyro finishes working on a cool new invention that involves a lot of....well, you'll find out.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey guys! Just so you know, I won't go over every single episode in Season 2 and 3 because there's too much to cover anyways, so don't be too disappointed. If I change my mind later on, I'll let you know. I liked pretty much all the episodes in general, but not all of them have potential death scenarios. Okay....maybe "The Most Dangerous...Game Night!" did, but so far, I couldn't come up with a well-written story for that plot, so yeah. Overall, I'm really critical when it comes to my own writing. Anyway, thanks for being patient and enjoy this next chapter! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <strong>****25 AUGUST****</strong>
</p><p>After Huey convinced the others to place the blame on Louie, he followed Dewey and Launchpad back to the submarine they intentionally stole from Scrooge. However, a giant wave started to follow the oldest triplet, instantly grabbing Huey and suffocating him until he drowned in its embrace. </p><p>The wave then gently placed him on the ground as if he were fast asleep, and that’s how Dewey and Launchpad found him, assuming the latter. <em> Seriously? </em> <b> <em>Now</em> </b> <em> Huey decides to sleep? Urgh! </em> The blue duckling rolled his eyes exasperatedly and sighed.</p><p>“Hey Launchpad? Can you help me carry him back to the sub?” Dewey asked his best friend.</p><p>Launchpad nodded and carried Huey’s body on his back while entering the submarine that they intentionally stole from Scrooge. He then laid him down next to where the blue-clad duckling was sitting.</p><p>40 minutes later, the middle triplet was starting to get bored. He groaned loudly and ordered Launchpad to drive faster.</p><p>“Sorry, little dude. I can’t. According to Mr. McD’s <em> number one </em>rule when it comes to driving a submarine — ” the pilot tried to explain, but Dewey cut him off impatiently.</p><p>“Who <em> cares</em>?! We already stole his sub, so there’s no point in following the rules anyway!” he retorted, scowling.</p><p>Launchpad winced a little before reverting his focus back on the wheel. </p><p>Dewey instantly felt bad. “Sorry for snapping at you. I’m just really tired and....yeah.”</p><p>The older duck nodded.</p><p>“Nah, it’s cool. And besides, you don’t have to wait much longer, ‘cause the docks are less than a mile away!” he replied enthusiastically, giving Dewey a thumbs up.</p><p>In return, he gave a small smile.</p><p>“Ya hear that, Hue? We’re almost there!” the blue duckling exclaimed, happy that he’d finally get some well-deserved rest.</p><p>No response. <em> Okay </em> <b> <em>that’s it</em></b><em>! I’m gonna wake him up! </em></p><p>“Huey, c’mon! Stop sleeping and wake up!” Dewey complained, fighting the urge to slap him awake.</p><p>Instead, he shook him for about 45 seconds. However, Huey still didn’t budge.</p><p><em> That’s odd. </em> <b> <em>Why</em> </b> <em> isn’t he waking up? This </em> <b> <em>usually</em> </b> <em> does the trick! </em></p><p>“Okay....real funny, Hubert. But you can’t fool me! Besides, you’re the <em> worst </em> prankster ever!” Dewey added, once again rolling his eyes.</p><p>Unfortunately, Huey still didn’t respond. The middle triplet started to worry a little.</p><p>“Hue?” Dewey shook his brother’s shoulders again, hoping that Huey would wake up immediately and make some kind of noise. But there was only silence. </p><p>“Look, is this about me calling you weird earlier? Fine! I’m sorry, okay? Now can you <em>please</em> forgive me and wake up now, ‘cause this is seriously getting old!” the middle triplet insisted, his voice now serious. </p><p>Then it sort of clicked. Huey wouldn’t have minded if someone had called him weird, because the oldest triplet had already embraced his own eccentric nature. While trying to connect the remaining dots, Dewey lowered his head onto Huey’s chest in order to feel his brother’s heartbeat, but nothing was happening.</p><p>“Shit!” Dewey muttered under his breath while trying not to panic. <em>He’s </em> <b> <em>not breathing</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>He had no idea how to perform CPR, but it was his only shot, so Dewey went for it. He did chest compressions on Huey’s body and contemplated on providing mouth compressions as well.</p><p>“Huey? C’mon, man. This isn’t funny anymore! Now wake up!” he added hastily.</p><p>After five more minutes, the middle triplet had made absolutely no progress whatsoever. Yep—<em>now </em> was the time to panic, though it came out as nervous laughter.</p><p>“Okay, dude. Ya got me! Good job! Now playtime’s over.” Still nothing.</p><p>Blinking back tears from his eyes, Dewey turned to Launchpad and frantically asked him to call an ambulance, but there was no cell service. Then again, they were underwater.</p><p>“WAKE UP!” the blue triplet screamed before slapping Huey’s face twice. <b> <em>Fuck</em></b><em>! This </em> <b> <em>can’t</em> </b> <em> be happening! </em> Dewey thought while struggling not to burst into tears.</p><p><b> <em>Please</em> </b> <em> wake up, bro. </em> <b> <em>Please</em></b><em>! I can’t—you </em> <b> <em>have</em> </b> <em> to wake up! </em></p><p>The whole time, the red triplet didn’t budge.</p><p>Ten minutes later, the submarine had finally reached the docks, about a mile away from McDuck Manor. So the middle brother didn’t even hesitate to grab his phone and immediately dial 911.</p><p>“Hello, this is 911. What’s your emergency?”</p><p>As Dewey tried to explain the whole situation as quickly as possible, his voice became choked with tears as he continued to speak. Luckily, the ambulance had arrived just in time to figure out what was going on.</p><p>“We need defibrillators <em> stat</em>!” one of the paramedics ordered.</p><p>There were two medical residents helping her alternate between performing CPR on the oldest triplet and shocking his heart, praying that it would start beating again....but it didn’t.</p><p>“Uh ma’am? His time of death was 4:45pm,” the older resident mentioned, causing the paramedic to curse under her breath. “So he’s been dead for over an hour.”</p><p>“Jesus....who’s gonna tell the kid?” said the paramedic. Then she shook her head and dismissed her last comment.</p><p>“You know what? Nevermind, I’ll tell him. You two handle the dead kid’s body and find out his emergency contacts.”</p><p>Everything was a blur. One minute, Launchpad held Dewey close to him as they waited anxiously for some news. And the next, that same paramedic soon approached them and sighed defeatedly, revealing that Huey had died due to drowning, according to the autopsy report. </p><p>Apparently, there had been giant coastal waves randomly attacking innocent civilians all day long, and only local news channels had found out just in time. Besides Huey, 40 other adolescents were killed on the East Coast, whereas 20 had died on the West Coast. In addition, 100 adults were killed on both sides.</p><p>Dewey’s legs began wobbling as he fell onto his knees, tears falling down his cheeks and his mouth agape. He didn’t make a single sound as he wept silently.</p><p><em> This isn’t <strong>real</strong>! He <strong>can’t</strong> be gone! Huey <strong>can’t</strong> be dead! </em> He pleaded quietly. </p><p>While Launchpad planned on delivering the horrible news to Scrooge himself, the latter decided to call him, and boy, was he angry!</p><p>“Launchpad! Did you steal my sub?!” the billionaire hollered. Then he groaned loudly and had a realization. “Let me guess! The <em> boys </em> were behind this, weren’t they?! I swear to God, those lads are <em> dead</em>!”</p><p>The pilot winced and took a deep yet shaky breath.</p><p>“Um yeah....about that....” Launchpad started to explain, which made Scrooge calm down a bit and blink in confusion.</p><p>“What is it, Launchpad? You sound a bit....odd. You’re not coming down with something, are you?” the old man asked softly.</p><p>And that’s when the pilot’s voice shook even more as he explained everything that happened today. Scrooge instantly dropped his phone in shock, twin tears streaming down his cheeks.</p><p>Each family member’s reaction to Huey’s death was slightly different. At first, Louie demanded visual proof, but once he spotted his oldest brother’s corpse, he immediately broke down in tears, wetting his green hoodie.</p><p><em> No no </em> <b> <em>no</em></b><em>! </em> <b> <em>Please</em> </b> <em> don’t be dead! </em> <b> <em>Please</em> </b> <em> wake up! </em> He begged and cried. </p><p>Meanwhile, Dewey ran inside one of the bathrooms and threw up in the toilet before sobbing his heart out and muttering Huey’s name over and over again, apologizing profoundly and pleading for him to come back.</p><p><em> I’m sorry! I’m </em> <b> <em>so sorry</em></b><em>! </em> <b> <em>Please</em> </b> <em> come back! </em> <b> <em>Please</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>So overall, both triplets were emotionally destroyed. In other words, they’d lost a part of themselves. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. No more making fun of Huey’s nerdiness and know-it-all personality. No more going on adventures together. No more receiving comforting hugs from their big brother. No more <em> anything</em>.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>****30 AUGUST****</strong>
</p><p>Five days later, the funeral took place, and there wasn’t a <em> single </em> dry eye in the room while everyone was giving their speeches. Scrooge and Donald had stuttered through theirs, unable to contain their tears. Fenton didn’t even bother to hide his own, hiccuping slightly between words. </p><p>Out of Huey’s friends, Webby was crying the hardest. In fact, she couldn’t even finish her own speech before Bentina took over and read the last two paragraphs. Once she sat down and dried her tears, she spotted the two remaining triplets sitting right next to her, closing their eyes as if they were meditating.</p><p>All of a sudden, Louie stood up and snuck out of the room while Dewey had followed. Both boys were too grief-stricken to say or do anything other than cry or hold onto each other for comfort. Instead, the youngest confessed that he needed some time alone, leaving Dewey to his own thoughts.</p><p>That’s when Flintheart Glomgold decided to approach him quickly, grinning like a maniac.</p><p>“Ah ha! I finally managed to defeat Scrooge McDuck in poker once again! Now I’m here to rub it in his face! Mwahahaha!” he cackled.</p><p>The middle brother shrugged.</p><p>“Doesn’t matter,” he said hoarsely. “I don’t think he cares about that right now.”</p><p>Dewey wiped his bloodshot eyes and runny nose with his sleeve as Glomgold frowned. <em> What the </em> <b> <em>hell</em> </b> <em> is he talking about?? </em></p><p>“What? Of course he does! He’s <em> Scrooge McDuck</em>!” he argued, pouting.</p><p>“Yeah, but he also lost someone very close to him,” the middle triplet clarified.</p><p>Okay—<em>now </em> Glomgold was really confused.</p><p>“What d’you mean by that?? Who did he lose?” he demanded, now getting impatient.</p><p>“His nephew, Huey—my brother,” Dewey answered.</p><p>The con artist was stunned, taking a step back as he stood quietly, trying to come up with a good response.</p><p>“Oh, um....” he began awkwardly. “You uh—you got your own personal issues going on there.”</p><p>Dewey continued gazing sadly at him, but didn’t say anything.</p><p>“I’ll just be going then....”</p><p>With that, Glomgold placed a brief yet comforting hand on the latter’s shoulder before heading towards the chapel, still keen on bragging about his latest victory.</p><p>In the meantime, Dewey’s face scrunched up again as more hiccuping sobs escaped from his mouth. He quickly muffled them with his hand while Louie returned from his quiet place, seeking comfort from his older brother. Now he only had one instead of two.</p><p>“D’you think Uncle Donald will get rid of Huey’s stuff?” Louie asked while resting his head on Dewey’s shoulder as they hugged.</p><p>“I dunno, but if he does, we won’t let him,” the middle brother reassured him before letting go and running his hand through Louie’s hair.</p><p>“I know I don’t say this often....” Dewey added. “....but I love you—<em>so much</em>. It sounds kinda cheesy, I get it—but it’s true.”</p><p>Louie was taken aback, unable to say anything as his big brother continued, grabbing Louie’s cheeks with both hands.</p><p>“So I’ve decided—it’s time that I grow up, so that means no more adventures and no more fooling around 24/7,” Dewey declared. As much as neither of them wanted things to change, their lives already did for good, starting with Huey’s tragic demise.</p><p>Louie nodded briefly and replied, “Yeah—and no more schemes. Trust me, as fun as they were, everything has its time, and I’m <em> done</em>.”</p><p>He laughed weakly as his brother did the same while holding each others’ hands.</p><p>“God! We sound like total saps!” the youngest exclaimed, still chuckling and sniffling.</p><p>“Man! What is wrong with us?” the blue triplet added, also laughing, though his voice was still choked up.</p><p>“I still miss him though,” Louie admitted, eyes watering again.</p><p>“Yeah, me too,” Dewey whispered tearfully as more of them fell down his face, ushering his younger brother for another hug. He then kissed Louie’s forehead lightly before wiping away the tears with his sleeve.</p><p>“Th-Thanks,” Louie stuttered.</p><p>Dewey flashed him a tender smile and gently caressed his little brother’s cheek as Donald walked towards both of them, saying that lunch was ready. The older triplet squeezed Louie’s hand gently as they followed their uncle back to the chapel.</p><p>A few hours later, Huey was buried in a cemetery not very far from McDuck Manor. It was just a five-minute ride. Donald broke down again at the sight of Huey’s name, while Scrooge held onto his distraught nephew, also shedding tears.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>****27 JANUARY****</strong>
</p><p>Almost five months had passed, and things slowly started to mend. But Dewey and Louie had stood by what they said at the funeral, which meant no more adventures or schemes. Dewey, however, decided to rejoin the Junior Woodchucks in order to feel closer to his older brother, keeping his memory alive.</p><p>Meanwhile, Louie discovered that Dr. Gearloose was working on an alternate timeline communication device. Originally, Fenton came up with the idea due to his own grief over not being able to say goodbye to his best friend. So he begged and pleaded with Gyro until he finally gave in and sighed, wincing at Fenton’s tears of regret.</p><p>“Oh alright! Fine....but only because you asked over and over again. Now <em> please </em> stop leaving tears all over my gadgets!” he snapped, but immediately retracted once Fenton hugged him tightly and thanked him repeatedly.</p><p>At the same time, Della Duck had just returned to Earth from the Moon, which made Scrooge jump with joy. On the other hand, Donald was currently stuck on the Moon, clueless as to what was going on back home. All he wanted to do was spend some time alone on a luxurious cruise and remember the good ol’ days. Until he spotted a rocket that looked oddly similar to —</p><p>“The <em> Spear of Selene</em>??!!” Donald gasped. “Della! Della?! DELLA!” he called out to his sister, but there was no response.</p><p>Then 3....2....1....</p><p>“Aaaaaaaaaah!” the sailor screamed in terror.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>****28 JANUARY - 15 FEBRUARY****</strong>
</p><p>In the meantime, the McDuck family members told Della countless stories about Huey and all the good times they’ve had with him. Though he was no longer alive, he still lived on somehow, through an old-fashioned trick called <em> storytelling</em>.</p><p>In addition, Louie told Dewey about Gyro’s latest invention as both of them discussed how they’d contact Huey from those other timelines.</p><p>“I mean, we gotta do <em>something</em>! Even though our Huey is gone forever, we still have to warn his other selves about....you know!” Louie exclaimed with wild hand gestures.</p><p>“Yeah, but how are we gonna do that?” Dewey pondered, uncertain that their plan would even work.</p><p>His little brother sighed.</p><p>“Looks like just this once, I’ll have to—you know—plan a sch....a sch....” <b> <em>Shit</em></b><em>! I can’t even get the </em> <b> <em>word</em> </b> <em> out properly! </em> Louie berated himself, but Dewey placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and smiled sadly, knowing what he was trying to say.</p><p>“A scheme?” he finished. The green-clad duckling gazed down at his feet and sighed again.</p><p>“Yeah....a <em> scheme</em>,” he clarified.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Feel free to re-read the first two chapters! :)</p><p>They're somehow connected to each other....</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. *The 87 Cent Solution! (S2E10)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Launchpad doesn't steer the plane away on time, which results in an untimely death. Huey explains what happened over the past few weeks to his therapist, but has a hard time dealing with his painful loss. Meanwhile, Fenton continues helping Gyro with his secret project after his slow recovery.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Huh. Looks like I did update this story pretty fast! Yay! Anyway, hope you all enjoy this chapter, and please feel free to re-read the previous chapters as well, 'cause they're all sort of connected. Again, still trying to figure out how, but it'll work out.  Also, keep in mind that I've added an OC in this chapter. You'll figure out who it is. :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****26 JANUARY****</b>
</p><p>“And how does that make you feel?” the woman asked in her Highland Scottish accent, adjusting her glasses while keeping paper and pens handy. The red triplet was staring into space, his swollen red eyes fixated on the wall across from him. To Huey, everything felt cold despite wearing a thick crimson jacket.</p><p>His therapist frowned. “Huey?” He suddenly looked up and hummed in oblivion.</p><p>“S-Sorry, Ms. Featherwing. I-I wasn’t paying attention,” he murmured sadly. “You were saying?” </p><p>Featherwing decided to take a slightly different approach. “Why don’t you start from the beginning?” she suggested.</p><p>“Okay,” Huey replied. “Well....”</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****24 DAYS AGO (2 JANUARY)****</b>
</p><p>“Who’s the sick one <em> now</em>, Chester?!” a deranged Scrooge had announced in front of....no one. There were dark bags under his eyes, which were tinted scarlet red with a hint of yellow. However, that wasn’t the end of it. A few seconds later, Webby asked him who this so-called 'Chester' fellow was.</p><p>“He’s the unknown. He’s the <em> question</em>—there he is!” he quacked, losing his sanity altogether as he pointed towards his imaginary target. The ducklings turned around and frowned in confusion. </p><p>However, Dewey mentioned that he’d take care of it and started running, while Scrooge ordered Gizmoduck to fire missiles in that direction. Freaking out, Huey warned his best friend that his uncle wasn’t thinking straight.</p><p>Unfortunately, Scrooge tripped over the kids which sent the missiles flying towards the Sunchaser—while Launchpad was still inside. The pilot panicked and grabbed the handles, hoping not to crash-land until the plane had touched the ground first.</p><p>To everyone’s horror, the plane was set to crash-land on the middle triplet himself. Dewey suddenly stopped and turned around, staring at the Sunchaser with a petrified expression. Fenton knew he had to move fast in order to save Dewey’s life, but his suit wouldn’t budge at first. Luckily, it did at the last minute.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (26 JANUARY)****</b>
</p><p>“I’m sorry, I need a minute,” Huey croaked, stifling more sobs as they escaped from his mouth. Featherwing nodded in understanding.</p><p>“It’s alright. Take your time,” she reassured him softly with a sad smile, handing him a tissue box. Huey gladly accepted it and blew his nose, wincing in disgust at the amount of tears and snot he’d produced in these last few minutes, let alone these past twenty-four<em> days</em>.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****24 DAYS AGO (2 JANUARY)****</b>
</p><p>“DEWEY!” everyone else screamed. Gizmoduck continued running towards him at the speed of sound. <em> C’mon, Fenton! You’re </em> <b> <em>almost there</em></b><em>! </em> He urged himself to move faster, and faster, and faster, and faster until....WHAM! He accidentally tripped over himself, but the plane had already crashed.</p><p>“Dewey!” Louie yelled.</p><p>“Fenton!” Huey shouted.</p><p>“Launchpad!” Webby shrieked.</p><p>Launchpad immediately opened the door of the plane and dusted himself off. Fortunately, there were no physical injuries present, so he was okay. Fenton’s suit had protected him from getting crushed completely, so he was fine too (for the most part), but the armor was toast, and it smelled like burnt oil.</p><p>“Ew—!” the superhero complained. He then shrugged and got out of the suit, sneezing and coughing uncontrollably from the dust. “Is everyone okay?” Launchpad smiled at that and gave him a thumbs up.</p><p>“Yep! Everything’s a-okay!” he replied cheerfully. His smile instantly faltered once he realized that Dewey was nowhere to be seen.</p><p>“Hey, where’s Dewey?” Fenton’s eyes widened in surprise. He remembered tripping over himself while running towards the said triplet. Before he could answer, he started coughing again as he felt a weird metallic taste in his mouth. Shockingly, it was red in color. Next thing he knew, the superhero suddenly lost consciousness.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (26 JANUARY)****</b>
</p><p>“I see. Then what happened?” Dr. Featherwing asked curiously while scribbling down what Huey was telling her.</p><p>“W-We had to take Fenton to the hospital because his throat was severely injured. His voice box managed to heal, but he needed strict bed rest for the following two weeks,” the oldest triplet explained. Tears resumed falling down his face like a waterfall.</p><p>“H-He was gonna be f-fine eventually, but D-Dewey....!” Huey added tearfully before bursting into more sobs. It was all too much. He couldn’t take it anymore.</p><p>“I’m sorry! I can’t do this!” the duckling wept before running out of the room to catch his breath. There was a restroom nearby, so Huey entered it and locked the door behind him, sliding down before sobbing into his knees. </p><p>He then took out a photo of himself and his two little brothers, staring at the three slightly younger ducklings who were busy smiling and laughing. Dewey and Louie made silly faces, while Huey insisted on taking a picture of them despite their playful protests.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****28 DAYS AGO (29 DECEMBER)****</b>
</p><p>“Oh c’mon, bro! Don’t!” Louie begged him. Meanwhile, Dewey pouted, hoping Huey would eventually give up, but he didn’t.</p><p>“Nope, sorry! Not until you guys admit that being a Junior Woodchuck is <em> awesome</em>,” the oldest triplet insisted, holding the camera high above his head so that his brothers couldn’t reach it. He wore a proud look on his face, smirking whenever they started complaining.</p><p>“Fine! I’ll say it!” Dewey said exasperatedly, which made Huey smile victoriously. However, that moment was short-lived when the middle brother added, “But only if you guys admit that Dewey Dew-Night is awesome first!”</p><p>Louie scoffed dramatically. “Puh-lease! Dewey Dew-Night is <em> so </em>lame!” Huey nodded in agreement, which earned a loud gasp and another scowl from the blue triplet.</p><p>“You take that back!” he shouted, pointing directly at Louie’s forehead. The latter swatted his hand away, frowning.</p><p>“No way! I stand by what I said,” the green triplet replied defensively, crossing his arms.</p><p>“Oh ho! That’s it! You asked for it!” Dewey growled before pouncing on his baby brother, playing tug-of-war with him until Huey begged them to break it up. Both triplets stopped abruptly before shaking hands, thus forming a truce.</p><p>“Huh. I guess we’re even now,” Huey said out loud, earning confused glances from his younger siblings.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (26 JANUARY)****</b>
</p><p>Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case anymore. Nothing would ever be okay again. Huey continued sitting there, feelings of nostalgia slowly fading away. </p><p>After 20 more minutes, Huey dragged himself back to Featherwing’s office. He knew life wasn’t fair, but there was a reason he went to therapy in the first place: to get professional help, which wasn’t a bad thing.</p><p>“Sorry. I didn’t mean to run off like that,” the red triplet apologized, his tone sincere.</p><p>“Oh that’s okay! You needed some air, that’s all. Trust me, you’re not the first client I’ve had that hadn’t done the same thing,” she said reassuringly, earning a small laugh from the duckling. Featherwing couldn’t help but chuckle herself.</p><p>“Yeah. I’ll uh—I’ll try not to do that next time,” Huey added sheepishly.</p><p>“Again, your reaction was completely normal, so I wouldn’t worry about it too much. D’you need some water?” she asked kindly, offering a water bottle. Huey refused, saying that he just wanted to continue with his story instead. Featherwing nodded as he started talking again.</p><p>“Yeah. So um....”</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****24 DAYS AGO (2 JANUARY)****</b>
</p><p>“We need to get Fenton to a hospital!” the red triplet demanded, hoping that his best friend still had a pulse. And thank God he did!</p><p>“Wait....what about Dewey?” Louie replied, scared that his immediate older brother could’ve been severely injured from the crash.</p><p>“Eh. I’m sure the lad’s fine! He must’ve escaped from the rubble and jumped into the water!” Scrooge said dismissively.</p><p>“Okay—but why isn’t he here right now? I mean seriously, it shouldn’t take <em> that </em>long for Dewey to swim all the way back here!” Louie pointed out skeptically.</p><p>“Um....guys?” Everyone turned around and saw a devastated look on Launchpad’s face. “I think I found him.”</p><p>The youngest triplet gasped in horror once he realized what Launchpad was talking about. After removing piles of broken glass and metal, Louie inhaled deeply before he exhaled, sobs and hiccups escaping from his mouth as the young trickster pleaded hysterically for someone to call an ambulance (since his own phone was already broken and had no service at all).</p><p>“S-Someone help him, p-please!” he blubbered. Deep down, he knew that Dewey would never wake up. The middle brother died as soon as the Sunchaser came in contact with his body. His internal organs were too damaged, and his skull was fractured beyond repair. </p><p>Forget brain injuries! Dewey was already a gone case, and Louie couldn’t bear to live without him. So the green-clad brother continued sobbing hysterically for another five minutes before his oldest brother came tumbling forward, wondering what all the commotion was.</p><p>“Louie, what <em> happened</em>—?” And then it all clicked. Dewey was <em> gone</em>. At first, Huey shook his head abruptly, denying any sort of confirmation that his immediate younger brother was dead. Regardless of what he assumed at that moment, the oldest triplet still called an ambulance. Not just for Dewey, though. </p><p>Fenton was also critically injured—at least vocally. While he was driven to the hospital, Dr. Gearloose had just arrived from his underwater lab, completely oblivious to the situation at hand, but also angry because he <em> did </em> hear loud noises coming from outside.</p><p>“What the hell is going on?? I’m trying to work on something really important here, and you idiots just <em> had </em> to distract me....” he snapped, but instantly recoiled once he caught a glimpse of the damage in front of him.</p><p><em> Holy </em> <b> <em>shit</em></b><em>! Since when did the Sunchaser </em> <b> <em>crash</em></b><em>?! And </em> <b> <em>why</em> </b> <em> do those kids look like they’ve lost a </em> <b> <em>puppy</em> </b> <em> or something?? </em></p><p>Having snapped out of his 'gold fever' phase ten minutes ago, Scrooge explained the entire situation with an emotionless expression. Truth to be told, the old man was too shocked and numb to reveal his emotions. Overwhelming grief had surrounded him as well as the three remaining ducklings.</p><p>Webby wept harshly in Launchpad’s arms, having instantly forgiven him for the accident. She sobbed Dewey’s name before latching onto his crushed body, smelling that awful metallic stench coated in red. The pilot also shed tears, but the amount of self-loathing had crept up to him, almost gnawing at his gut.</p><p>Huey forgave him too, but he was too focused on his deceased brother to offer the latter comfort and solace over the death of his best friend. And so the Junior Woodchuck shed a couple of tears, but like his uncle, he was too emotionally shocked to break down completely.</p><p>Louie, however, had mixed feelings. He didn’t <em> want </em> to blame Launchpad for what happened, but a part of him sort of did. Of course, the 11-year-old didn’t like it. In fact, he <em> hated </em> it, but at the same time, he knew that Launchpad should’ve been more careful while steering the plane away from the bridge.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (26 JANUARY)****</b>
</p><p>Again, Huey had to take deep breaths and calm himself down because he was sobbing too much, making his words slightly incoherent. Before leaving, he thanked Ms. Featherwing for listening to him. In return, she said it was no problem, since it was her job to begin with.</p><p>Meanwhile, Louie continued to avoid his family like the plague, especially Launchpad since he was conflicted on whether or not the pilot truly <em> was </em> to blame for the incident. He cried a lot during the first few days up until Dewey’s funeral, where he shut down completely.</p><p>Elsewhere, Scrooge continued lashing out at his employees more than usual, partially because he blamed Donald for not giving Dewey enough attention before he died, but also because he himself should’ve known better. It was his own fault that Dewey had lost his life. That too, under his watch. He felt even worse because Huey continued to avoid him.</p><p>On the other hand, Donald frequently burst into tears, constantly looking at pictures of his middle child throughout the years. Technically, Dewey was his nephew, but he loved him as if he were his own son. Huey often joined him in his sobbing fest as they both openly grieved over what they had lost.</p><p>“It’s not f-fair!” Huey wailed, clinging onto his uncle’s vest despite telling his story to Ms. Featherwing earlier that day. Donald shushed him quietly while failing to stifle his own sobs.</p><p>“I know, buddy. I know,” he wept softly. Neither of them had slept due to the intensity of their nightmares, so the red triplet usually crept into Donald’s bed, seeking comfort from his beloved guardian. And every morning, they’d wake up with crusty and swollen red-rimmed eyes.</p><p>Webby suffered from situational depression. In other words, she totally lost her interest in adventure and instead, snuck into Scrooge’s secret liquor cabinet upstairs, taking a few sips every now and then in order to ease the pain.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****18 DAYS AGO (8 JANUARY)****</b>
</p><p>The youngest triplet stared at the coffin with dry eyes. He almost berated himself for not crying since everyone else was. But then he realized—he just felt <em> numb</em>. A part of him was too depressed to reveal his emotions, but at the same time, Louie was <em> so </em>angry. </p><p>Angry at Dewey for not moving out of the way, angry at Scrooge for letting the gold fever cloud his judgement, angry at Launchpad for losing his grip on the wheel, angry at Huey for asking if Fenton was alright first rather than his own brother, just <em> angry </em> at everyone for not being able to save Dewey on time!</p><p>But most of all, he was angry at himself for not getting his phone repaired as soon as it broke. If he did, he could’ve called 911 and they would’ve been able to save his brother before it was too late. So no. He wouldn’t cry anymore! Louie was <em> done</em>!</p><p>In the meantime, Fenton’s mother came to visit him at the hospital. It was the day after his surgery, and his voice had slowly started to sound normal again. She then cried tears of happiness for her son, overjoyed that he was recovering instead of dying. Later on, she spotted the red-clad duckling sitting beside her, eager to talk to his best friend after so long.</p><p>Huey explained to Fenton what had happened over the past few days. At the end, he immediately broke down in tears, admitting how scared he was of losing Fenton too on top of already losing his immediate little brother. The superhero gazed at him sympathetically and placed his hand on top of Huey’s head, rubbing it soothingly.</p><p>“Oh Hue....” he replied softly, grief etched in his voice as the older duck smiled sadly and shook his head slowly. “I’m not leaving you,” he almost whispered, the tenderness causing Huey to cry harder. Fenton moved his hand to wipe away his best friend’s tears.</p><p>“I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for a long time,” he elaborated and winked playfully, which made Huey laugh between his sobs.</p><p>“Th-Thanks. I really needed that,” he said tearfully before sniffling. Fenton smiled back.</p><p>“Everything will be okay, kiddo. I promise.”</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****10 DAYS AGO (16 JANUARY)****</b>
</p><p>And Fenton definitely kept that promise once he bombarded Gyro with all kinds of questions about the laws of space and time.</p><p>“Christ, intern! I’m busy! Besides, Mr. McDuck has been giving me death threats ever since his nephew died and—” he retorted until he spotted Fenton’s disapproving look.</p><p>“—what? What did I say?” he said defensively, confused as to why his intern was giving him the <em> look</em>. The superhero shook his head before walking towards his boss with a determined expression.</p><p>“Here’s what’s going to happen....” Fenton ordered, leaving no room for argument. Nope! This time, Gizmoduck was gonna lay down the <em> law</em>!</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (26 JANUARY)****</b>
</p><p>“Uncle Donald? A-Are you still awake?” Huey asked him. Donald opened his eyes sleepily.</p><p>“I am now,” he answered, flashing him a genuine smile.</p><p>“I know I don’t usually say it, but I’m <em> so </em> glad you’re here. Without you or Louie, I wouldn’t be able to handle it,” the oldest triplet suddenly confessed.</p><p>Donald immediately frowned. “What about Uncle Scrooge?”</p><p>“Oh yeah. Him too, of course,” the 11-year-old muttered, but Donald had figured out what was going on through his nephew’s head.</p><p>“Huey....” he began sadly, reaching for his oldest child’s head feathers, though Huey didn’t recoil.</p><p>“He was so delirious that day. You should’ve <em> seen </em>him, Uncle Donald! He didn’t even hesitate to fire that missile at—” Huey paused and took a deep breath before continuing, his voice filled with emotion. “And I <em> know </em> I shouldn’t be, and I really don’t want to....but I am <em> so </em>mad at him!” </p><p>His face scrunched up again, ready to bawl his eyes out at any given moment, but Huey held back until he was done ranting.</p><p>“A-And I’m sick and tired of being sad all the time, and I j-just want—I want him <em> back</em>!” This time, he gave in, tears finally streaming down his cheeks. “I know I should just move on and remember the good times, but it’s <em> so hard</em>, Uncle Donald!”</p><p>The sailor felt more tears falling from his eyes as he muttered reassurances, knowing that his oldest nephew needed this. Huey needed to get his feelings out in the open.</p><p>“I-I miss him so much!” the Junior Woodchuck wept bitterly. His uncle enveloped him in a firm hug.</p><p>“Me too,” a familiar voice replied. <em> What the—</em><b><em>Louie</em></b><em>?! </em> </p><p>“Louie!” Donald exclaimed, grinning and inviting him to join the hug. He started to cry too.</p><p>“I’m <em> really </em>sorry! I sh-should’ve—I mean....don’t you guys blame me?” the young trickster whimpered, mentally preparing himself for Donald and Huey’s disownment. Instead, they shook their heads in disagreement.</p><p>“Of course we don’t! Why would you even <em> say </em> that?!” Donald nearly squawked, but tried to keep his anger to a minimum.</p><p>“Dude, we love you,” Huey added tenderly. “And it wasn’t your fault. If anything, it was — ” </p><p>Louie cut him off. “It wasn’t Uncle Scrooge’s fault either. He had no idea what was going on because he was too delirious. Besides, I think that — ” </p><p>This time, Huey cut him off. “Launchpad lost control of the wheel, so it definitely wasn’t his fault. And Fenton tripped over himself and got hurt badly, so that’s out of the question for sure,” he clarified.</p><p>“So basically....it was nobody’s fault,” Donald concluded, which made both his nephews chuckle.</p><p>“Man....we’re a real mess right now! If only Dewey could <em> see </em> us!” Louie giggled.</p><p>“Exactly! So no more crying myself to sleep every night!” Huey declared. “And I think I kinda—sort of—owe Uncle Scrooge an apology for—you know, being an <em> asshole</em>,” he added sheepishly.</p><p>“Language, Hubert!” Donald scolded, glaring daggers at his oldest nephew.</p><p>“Oh give him a pass this time, Uncle Donald. It’s fine!” Louie defended his brother. This caused all three of them to laugh wholeheartedly while wiping away tears from their puffy red eyes.</p><p>“Besides, I should probably talk to Launchpad. Sometimes, I keep forgetting that he misses him too,” the youngest triplet admitted guiltily.</p><p>“Don’t worry, Lou. He’ll forgive you,” Huey reassured him.</p><p>“You think?” Louie asked hopefully.</p><p>“I know he will,” his older brother promised.</p><p>“And Uncle Scrooge will forgive you too,” Donald said firmly, earning a doubtful glance from Huey, but he nodded anyway.</p><p>“Okay okay! Can we skip all the sappy speeches and just hug each other instead? ‘Cause this is getting really weird!” Louie begged while rolling his eyes. Huey turned to Donald and grinned.</p><p>“Aaaand he’s back!” the oldest exclaimed, now satisfied. Before he knew it, Huey tackled Louie and wrapped his arms around him, bringing him closer to his chest and planting a firm kiss on his forehead.</p><p>“Urgh! I’m not a baby, geez!” Louie complained, scowling.</p><p>“Yes you are! You’re my baby brother,” Huey said, smirking once his little brother actually gave him the death glare.</p><p>“Oh you are so dead!” Louie threatened him. Donald flinched at that statement.</p><p>“Uh....I’m pretty sure we have enough deceased family members right now,” he reminded them, sadness etched in his voice. Both boys stared at each other guiltily before apologizing.</p><p>“Oops! Sorry, Uncle Donald. W-We were just messing around,” Louie said softly. His uncle understood.</p><p>“I know, buddy. It’s okay,” he comforted him before bringing both of them closer to his body. “We’ll be okay,” he repeated.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****20 DAYS LATER (15 FEBRUARY)****</b>
</p><p>“Ah ha! I did it! Take that, <em> science</em>!” Gyro bragged, doing his little victory dance. On the other hand, Fenton was confused.</p><p>“Did <em> what</em>, exactly?” <em> What the </em> <b> <em>hell</em> </b> <em> is he talking about?? </em></p><p>Dr. Gearloose groaned. “Urgh! Pay attention, Cabrera! This is serious! I’ve just made a major breakthrough!”</p><p>“Okay....?” Yeah, Fenton had no idea what was going on.</p><p>“Okay? <em> Okay</em>?? Just <em>okay</em>?! That’s all you have to say, Mr. Hey-Let’s-Build-An-Alternate-Timeline-Communicator! You know, so that your best friend would be able say goodbye to his deceased little brother?? Does <em> any </em> of that ring a bell or....?” Gyro elaborated, undeniably frustrated.</p><p>“Oh. Yeah. Y-Yeah, I remember now,” Fenton said in realization.</p><p>“Good. We’ve established that. Now come over here and hold my iPad! I need you to keep swiping until you find the app that reads <strong>Timeline Central</strong>,” the chief scientist instructed.</p><p>“Wow. How <em> original</em>,” Fenton commented sarcastically while scrolling his finger on the device.</p><p>“Don’t back-sass me, intern!” Gyro scolded him. “<em>I </em> do the back-sassing! You just sit there and look pretty,” he added bitterly. The younger duck rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Yeah, whatever,” he exhaled before he finally found the app that Gyro was looking for. “Happy now?” he said sharply. Dr. Gearloose was taken back by Fenton’s harsh tone.</p><p>“Whoa! What’s up with <em> you</em>?” he said, chuckling nervously while raising his hands up defensively. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m glad you’ve toughened up a little, but it’s not like you to snap at people. I just—is everything okay? D’you need some water or — ”</p><p>Fenton gave him an incredulous look, but his tone was still pretty harsh, too angry to hear the rest of Gyro’s sentence. “Are you <em> serious</em>?!” This time, Gyro was confused. <em> What is </em> <b> <em>happening</em></b><em>?? </em></p><p>“Uh yeah! Of course I’m serious! Geez, what the hell is your problem?! I did what you asked me to do, and <em>this</em> is the thanks I get?!” Dr. Gearloose snapped back. “You know what, don’t expect a pay raise after this, ‘cause your attitude right now sucks!”</p><p>“You don’t <em> pay </em> me at ALL!” Fenton exclaimed furiously, making large hand gestures. The iPad almost fell out of his hands, but at this point, he didn’t care anymore.</p><p>“Yeah?? Well apparently <em>alternate</em> me did!” Gyro screamed, hoping he’d win the argument. Luckily, he did. Fenton was shocked. <em> Wait </em> <b> <em>what</em></b><em>?! Oh shit! Did I say that </em> <b> <em>out loud</em></b><em>?! </em></p><p>Gyro sighed, exhausted from all the yelling and screaming he’d done lately. “Yes. That’s what I wanted to tell you. Alternate me somehow found a way to communicate with me, and that’s how I managed to develop this thing successfully. He did all the trial-and-error stuff. Meanwhile, I just followed what he was doing,” he confessed.</p><p>“It uh—kind of reminded me of when I was still—an <em> intern</em>,” he added, suddenly feeling nostalgic and remembering Dr. Akita’s harsh comments about his work, especially when he had created B.O.Y.D. in Tokyo. </p><p>Fenton winced in regret as tears had collected in his eyes. Maybe he was overworking himself. “I’m sorry, Dr. Gearloose. I just....” he started apologizing, but Gyro shook his head, having none of it.</p><p>“Don’t bother. It’s fine,” he replied dismissively.</p><p>“But I — ” Fenton protested, but was cut off again.</p><p>“It’s okay. I <em>know</em>,” Gyro reassured him softly. “And don’t worry. We’re gonna make sure he lives,” he finished with a smile. Fenton shook his head again as tears started tumbling down his cheeks without shame.</p><p>“I can’t lose him, Dr. Gearloose. I just <em> can’t</em>,” he pleaded, voice choked with emotion.</p><p>“That kid is smart as hell. He definitely got that from his uncle.” That earned a tear-filled chuckle from the superhero. </p><p>“And besides, if Huey doesn’t make it, we could just duplicate him instead. Who’d know the difference?” Gyro said jokingly, causing Fenton to playfully punch his arm.</p><p>“Ow! That <em> hurts</em>, intern!” he shrieked.</p><p>“Yeah, well you kinda deserved it,” the younger scientist pointed out. At least his tears had finally stopped.</p><p>“Feeling better?” Gyro asked out of genuine concern. Fenton contemplated at first. </p><p>“Yeah,” he answered truthfully, taking deep breaths as he smiled gratefully.</p><p>“Good. Then let’s get back to work,” Gyro suggested. <em> Man! This guy’s gonna be the </em> <b> <em>death</em> </b> <em> of me! </em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Man! There won't be a brand new *Ducktales* episode for at least a few months! Well that sucks. :( </p><p>Anyway, enjoy! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. *Nothing Can Stop Della Duck! (S2E12)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When Donald discovers that Della is still alive and accidentally activates the Spear of Selene, the rocket's engine starts to sputter midair instead of flying all the way to the Moon. Who will receive the tragic news first? And how will Della cope with her brother's death and continue bonding with her sons at the same time? Also, Gyro and Fenton have finally done it!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If Donald Duck is your favorite character, then I apologize in advance for killing him off in this chapter. Hope you enjoy it anyways. :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****27 JANUARY****</b>
</p><p>The Spear of Selene was heading back to the Moon, where Della Duck had been stranded for over 11 years. But the question was—<em>who </em> was inside the rocket?</p><p>“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” Donald screamed at the top of his lungs.</p><p>“Someone <em> please </em> help meeeeeeeeeee!” he added, still screaming.</p><p>Unfortunately, no one heard his pleas as they continued living their daily lives. To make matters worse, the engines were failing, causing Donald to panic even more and scream louder.</p><p>“MAYDAY! MAYDAY! CAN <em> ANYONE </em> READ ME??!!” he bellowed, trying not to cry. <em> Oh </em> <em>God</em><em>! </em> <em>Please</em><em>! I don’t wanna </em> <b> <em>die</em></b><em>! </em> <b> <em>Please</em> </b> <em> don’t let me </em> <em>die</em><em>! I have three boys who </em> <b> <em>need me</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>Sadly, 'God' didn’t hear his pleas, and neither did any rescue squads around the world. Instead, the Spear of Selene had completely lost control of itself as it crash-landed into a palm tree.</p><p>“Oh <em> come on</em>!” Donald yelled angrily. Unfortunately, that moment was short-lived once the rocket had suddenly exploded, leaving giant pieces of charred material everywhere. The fire was put out after a few minutes.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>****28 JANUARY****</strong>
</p><p>Meanwhile in McDuck Manor, the boys started bonding with their mother over dessert, scary stories, skateboarding, and ultimately fighting the Gilded Man statue.</p><p>“Huey, Dewey, Louie—I know you’re not used to having a mom, and I am <em> not </em> used to being one, but I’ll figure it out as we go along—in time,” she told them sweetly. Aw! What a wonderful start to a great mother-son relationship!</p><p>“We all will,” Louie agreed, smiling tenderly as they all formed a group hug once more.</p><p>“Man! Donald sure is missing out on some quality family bonding,” Della added thoughtfully.</p><p>“Well, as much as I enjoy quality family bonding, I should probably head back in and check my messages. Apparently, <em> someone </em> has been calling me for the past few hours!” Scrooge pointed out, chuckling. Della’s eyebrows raised.</p><p>“Okay....?” she replied unsurely. Huey then gasped loudly once he checked his watch.</p><p>“Oh no! I gotta go! I promised Fenton I’d help him guard Dr. Gearloose’s latest invention!” Dewey and Louie gave their older brother bemused looks.</p><p>“Uh oh. What did he do <em> this </em> time?” Louie said, cringing.</p><p>“Nothing! Geez, Louie. Have some <em> faith </em> in the man!” Huey argued.</p><p>“You mean the guy whose inventions go berserk every time they’re set off? Then yeah, I have <em> so much faith </em> in him!” the green-clad brother retorted sarcastically. Huey rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Whatever! I’m going. Bye Mom! See you later, guys!” he added, waving goodbye before running towards Fenton’s house. Dewey then shook his head while Louie headed back to the house.</p><p>“I’m <em> so </em>bored! Let’s go do something fun, Mom!” Dewey suggested after nearly two hours. Della nodded, her stomach twisting slightly, anticipating that something <em> bad </em> would happen.</p><p>“Ah, it’s probably nothing!” she said dismissively. “Okay, sweetie! I’m right behind you!” she called from behind, following her middle son towards.....McDuck Manor?? <b> <em>What</em></b><em>?? </em></p><p>“Mom, a-are you okay?” Dewey asked, now slightly worried.</p><p>“Y-Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Anyway, forget it. It’s fine. It’s just—Moon sickness, that’s all. It’ll pass, don’t worry,” she reassured him.</p><p>“Oh. Uh—maybe you should get some rest. W-We can go tomorrow — ” the middle triplet offered, but Della only shook her head and interrupted him.</p><p>“No no! I’m fine, I promise! I just need—I need to—” <em> Wait....why is the Earth </em> <b> <em>spinning</em></b><em>?? </em> And suddenly, Della Duck had lost consciousness.</p><p>“Mom? Mom! MOM!” Dewey screamed while slowly freaking out. Suddenly, he had an idea. Taking out his phone, he then pressed <em> 911 </em> and waited for someone to answer.</p><p>“Yes! Hello? I-I need an ambulance, please!” he nearly hollered. Two minutes later, a paramedic was by his mother’s side, searching for a heartbeat. Luckily, there <em> was </em> one.</p><p>“Good news, kid. Your mom’s still breathing,” the paramedic assured the blue triplet, who nearly suffered from a panic attack himself.</p><p>“Oh <em> good</em>! That’s great!” he exhaled in relief, clutching his own chest for comfort.</p><hr/><p>In the meantime, Louie was playing tag with Webby inside the mansion, laughing carelessly as they began tackling each other.</p><p>“Ha! Gotcha!” Webby quacked victoriously.</p><p>“Hey! No fair!” Louie whined, glaring at her. “You cheated!” he said accusingly. Webby gasped mockingly.</p><p>“Did <em> not</em>!” she objected.</p><p>“Did <em> too</em>!” Louie retorted playfully. Both of them started laughing again as they shook hands.</p><p>“Alright, fine. You win <em> this </em> time, Webbigail. But don’t think I’m goin’ easy on you <em> next </em> time!” the green triplet warned her innocently.</p><p>“Yeah right! Everyone knows I’m the ultimate champion when it comes to tag!” she bragged, earning an eye roll from the scheming triplet.</p><p>“Yeah yeah. Keep talkin’!” he replied, his hand imitating Webby gloating as Louie walked towards the lobby where Scrooge was talking with someone on the phone. </p><p>“I-I don’t understand.” His voice sounded incredibly hoarse, which caught the youngest triplet off-guard. <em> Wait....is Uncle Scrooge </em> <b> <em>crying</em></b><em>?? </em> Louie tiptoed over to where his uncle was standing in order to take a closer look at his face. Yep! His eyes were bloodshot and incredibly puffy with tears rolling down his cheeks.</p><p>“W-Well, I don’t believe you. I need more proof!” he exclaimed angrily, holding a mysterious photo in his other hand. It had a stamp marked with yesterday’s date, so Louie suspected that Scrooge had just received it today.</p><p>“N-No!” he choked out before dropping the phone, his legs wobbling as his knees finally gave in while leaning on the small wooden table for support.</p><p>“U-Uncle Scrooge? What’s going on? What <em> happened </em> — ?” Louie asked fearfully while holding a tight grip on Scrooge’s red coat. That’s when Dewey came hurtling through the front door, panting heavily due to half-carrying his mom into the lobby. Her speech was slurred due to the drugs.</p><p>“You guys! You won’t <em> believe </em> what just happened! Mom fainted, but luckily, the ambulance arrived on time and gave her sleeping pills. But don’t worry, everything’s <em> fine</em>! It’s nothing too serious. She just needs to take it easy for the next few days,” the middle triplet explained hastily, almost failing to catch his own breath.</p><p>“C’mon, Mom! Let’s go upstairs!” he told her, dragging Della towards the boys’ shared room, ignoring Louie’s bewildered expression. On the other hand, Scrooge was barely paying attention as his tears continued to fall endlessly.</p><p>“Okay....Uncle Scrooge? <em> Now </em> can you tell me what’s going on?” Louie insisted, which caused the billionaire to exhale shakily before facing his nephew, showing him the picture. The green triplet gasped in horror as his eyes scanned over the damage. </p><p>After five minutes, he was completely traumatized, tears streaming from his eyes as well. <em> No! No no </em> <b> <em>no</em></b><em>! </em> <b> <em>Please</em> </b> <em> come back, Uncle Donald! </em> <b> <em>Please</em></b><em>! I’m </em> <b> <em>really sorry</em></b><em>, Uncle Donald! Just </em> <b> <em>please come back</em></b><em>! </em> Louie pleaded.</p><p>“B-But what if—w-what if they’ve got the wrong person?” he blubbered, dark bags forming under his swollen red eyes. “W-What if it’s just someone who <em> looks </em> like Uncle Donald?” Louie gave Scrooge a hopeful look, but the old man shook his head tearfully.</p><p>“I don’t think so, lad.” His voice was almost inaudible. Louie backed away in denial.</p><p>“N-No! No, he's probably still on the cruise! Y-You can call them and make sure — ” the youngest triplet stuttered through his tears.</p><p>“I already <em> did</em>, lad. They said he never made it onboard,” Scrooge revealed, causing the poor kid to break down completely, hands and knees on the floor as he sobbed hopelessly.</p><p>“No! He <em> can’t </em> be gone! P-Please! Uncle Scrooge, w-we gotta help him! He’s <em> hurt</em>—!” Louie wailed. The billionaire kneeled in front of his nephew and wrapped him in a warm embrace, shushing him softly while crying himself.</p><p>“I know, lass. I know,” he whispered tearfully while stroking his youngest nephew’s head feathers.</p><hr/><p>Meanwhile, Huey was busy testing a transportation device inside Gyro’s lab. The almost-12-year-old was filled with excitement as he continued pushing different buttons. On the other hand, Fenton wasn’t excited at all. In fact, he was too worried about Huey’s safety.</p><p>“So um....how <em> safe </em> is it to travel through these portals?” The intern suddenly asked his mentor, eyeing him skeptically.</p><p>“Eh—I’m sure it’s fine. Relax, Cabrera. Nothing’s gonna happen!” Gyro assured him. Huey checked his watch again and groaned.</p><p>“Uh oh. Looks like I have to head back home. Sorry, guys,” Huey told them apologetically. Fenton ruffled his hair comfortingly.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it, Huey. Gyro and I got everything taken care of!” he replied enthusiastically, to which the red triplet smiled warmly.</p><p>“Aw! Thanks guys! Well, see you tomorrow!” Huey waved goodbye to both of them as he ran back towards the mansion and was surprised that the lobby was empty. He heard incoherent voices coming from the dining room, but he ignored them as the Junior Woodchuck dragged himself upstairs.</p><p>Once he reached his bedroom, the red-clad duckling opened the door and gasped at the sight of Della Duck sleeping on Louie’s bunk bed while Dewey was happily sitting beside her, scrolling through his phone.</p><p>“Okay....? Dunno what happened here, but whatever,” Huey said out loud and shrugged, carefully approaching his immediate little brother.</p><p>“Psst! Dewey!” the oldest triplet whispered, tapping his brother’s shoulder. Dewey almost jumped out of his seat, wheezing.</p><p>“Huey?! You scared the <em> living shit </em> out of me!” he hissed back.</p><p>“What happened?!” Huey asked incredulously, gesturing to Della’s sleeping form.</p><p>“Oh um....Mom got pretty exhausted after the fight and she kinda—sorta—you know....<em>fainted</em>,” the middle triplet explained, chuckling nervously once Huey’s eyes widened in shock.</p><p>“But don’t worry! She’s fine! She just needs plenty of rest. That’s all, I <em> swear</em>!” Dewey begged his older brother not to freak out. The red triplet sighed and nodded weakly.</p><p>“Thanks man! I owe you!” The blue-clad triplet smiled gratefully and gave him a thumbs up. Huey rolled his eyes and reminded him that dinner would be ready soon.</p><p>“Alright alright, I’m <em> coming</em>! Yeesh....” And so both boys left their bedroom door open as they went downstairs and into the dining area, where Scrooge and Louie were clinging onto each other, still distraught from today’s horrific events. But Huey and Dewey didn’t know that....<em>yet</em>.</p><p>“Hey guys!” the middle triplet greeted his uncle and younger sibling simultaneously. When he heard loud sniffles and soft sobbing instead of an actual response, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Huey’s did too, but more out of concern.</p><p>“Um—guys? Hey, w-what’s going on?” Dewey asked as they both walked towards the billionaire’s seat, gasping in shock once they saw their faces. Scrooge’s eyes were incredibly red and puffy from crying on-and-off over these past 45 minutes. Louie’s condition was much worse. He didn’t bother to hide his own tears.</p><p>“Oh my God! What <em> happened</em>?!” Huey exclaimed, anticipating the worst-case scenario. <em> Did someone </em> <b> <em>die</em></b><em>?! </em> Well....hate to break it to you, Hubert, but it was pretty obvious what happened since the beginning.</p><p>“I um....” the billionaire stammered, confirming the oldest brother’s worst fears once he finished his explanation, handing him the exact same photo taken by the paramedics who found Donald’s corpse.</p><p>Dewey reacted immediately after studying the picture closely for nearly two minutes. Hiccuping sobs escaped from his lips as he grabbed Louie’s shaking form into his own arms, holding his baby brother close. The loss hit him <em> hard</em>, not only due to grief, but regret as well since the middle brother never got to tell Donald how much he had appreciated him. <em> And now I </em> <b> <em>never will</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>Huey, on the other hand, shook violently as he struggled to prevent his own tears from falling. Just like Scrooge did 30 minutes ago, the Junior Woodchuck angrily demanded that he needed more evidence regarding Donald’s tragic demise. </p><p>Apparently, Scrooge had kept more photos in his pocket, assuming they were too gory to show the children. The oldest triplet instantly yanked them from his uncle’s suit pocket and stared at them for about five minutes. Next thing he knew, the red-clad duckling wrapped his arms around his two little brothers and joined their endless sobbing fest.</p><p>Two hours later, the boys were exhausted, yawning loudly in each others’ arms. The triplets refused to let go of each other as they trudged upstairs and crept into their room, still weeping quietly. Della remained fast asleep, unaware that she had lost her twin brother forever, and she’d <em> never </em> reunite with him again.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>****29 JANUARY****</strong>
</p><p>Huey, Dewey, and Louie woke up at exactly 5:45am. Last night, they decided to sleep in the middle bunk with Huey crammed in the middle, Dewey and Louie clinging onto him like a lifeline. Without their uncle/guardian, they now seeked comfort and solace from their older brother.</p><p>Praying that yesterday was just a horrible dream and Donald would wake them up with his terrible singing, they waited for another 20 minutes, staring silently at the bottom of Huey’s bunk bed. Unfortunately, their uncle never came, and that’s when it hit all three of them for <em>real</em>—the sailor was <em> gone</em>.</p><p>Meanwhile, Della was having a wonderful dream—being surrounded by all kinds of sweets. Cotton candy, lollipops, cream-filled cake, smarties, jelly beans—you get the idea. She giggled quietly to herself, muffling her happy sighs, unaware that her boys were suffering their worst nightmare.</p><p>“W-We should probably tell Mom—right?” Dewey asked hesitantly, afraid that his brothers would disagree and instead, either yell or permanently disown him on the spot. Rather, they actually hugged him tightly as Huey nodded.</p><p>“Yes. You’re right, Dew,” he agreed softly, gently stroking Dewey’s hair back.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it. I’ll tell her,” Scrooge suggested from outside their doorway. At first, the boys protested, but then the billionaire explained that it would be best if he broke the news instead, having experienced this kind of pain before. The three of them reluctantly nodded before exiting the room.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>****5 FEBRUARY****</strong>
</p><p>A week flew by, and everything was dark and dreary, including the weather. There was a forecast for heavy rain and snow over the next couple of weeks. At one point, Huey decided to step outside and feel the water droplets seep through his clothes. </p><p>Dewey found him staring blankly at the sky, completely drenched from head to toe. He frantically ran back to the mansion and grabbed a grey towel, wrapping it around his big brother as the middle triplet ushered him back inside.</p><p>“Dude! What were you <em> thinking</em>?! You’re gonna catch a <em> cold </em> if you keep on standing in the rain!” Dewey scolded him. His stern expression instantly faltered once he noticed Huey’s face. To be fair, he looked depressed, baggy red eyes gazing mindlessly at the floor.</p><p>“Hue?” Dewey asked worriedly. He gulped before adding, “You haven’t said anything in a while.” Huey remained silent. </p><p>“Bro, <em> please </em> talk to me,” the blue triplet pleaded, voice shaking with concern and sadness. </p><p>The red triplet finally opened his mouth and whispered, “I um....I—I <em> saw </em> him.” </p><p>Dewey had no idea who he was talking about. “Who?”</p><p>“Uncle Donald.” And that, my friends, was when Dewey realized what had happened. His lower lip started to tremble violently, biting back tears.</p><p>“Hue....” he began sadly.</p><p>“I know what happened,” Huey dismissed his brother’s statement. “I just....it felt good, you know? Seeing him again. It felt <em> so good</em>,” he admitted, chuckling tearfully. Dewey nodded fervently, tearing up as well.</p><p>But this time, the aspiring adventurer knew <em> he </em> had to be the strong one instead of the other way around. His big brother needed comfort from <em> him</em>, and he couldn’t provide that if he wound up crying too.</p><p>“Of course, if I hadn’t, you know, suggested that <em> stupid cruise </em> in the first place—then we wouldn’t be in this situation right now!” Huey berated himself before full-blown sobs had burst from his mouth. Dewey wore a shocked expression as his brother continued weeping brokenly in his hands. </p><p>“Oh Hue—<em>no</em>,” he objected softly, voice filled with pure grief as the former hugged his older brother from the side. He rubbed Huey’s back soothingly as their heads leaned against each other. The red-clad duckling nearly jumped in surprise once he felt another pair of small arms wrapped around his body.</p><p>“It’s <em> not </em> your fault,” Dewey declared as the youngest nodded in total agreement. Wait—where did <em> Louie </em> come from?! Allow me to explain.</p><p>You see, earlier this morning, Della was seen playing with her soup, wearing a forlorn expression. Truth to be told, she was avoiding everybody, <em> especially </em> her own kids since she assumed they would now hate her for eternity. So what was the <em> point </em> in trying anymore? They probably wished <em> she </em> had died instead of her own brother.</p><p>“Mom? Can we talk?” Louie suggested, wiping away the remaining tears from his face. Della scoffed and averted her eyes.</p><p>“About <em> what</em>? Me being a crappy mother? Then go ahead! Say it!” she snapped. The last thing Della wanted to do was lash out at her own kids, but she couldn’t help but feel insecure all of a sudden. <em> Why </em> <em>bother</em><em>? They </em> <b> <em>hate</em> </b> <em> me! So what’s the </em> <b> <em>point</em></b><em>?! </em></p><p>“You’re <em> not </em> a crappy mom,” Louie argued, frowning. “You’re just learning — ” Della’s face twisted in anger as she slammed her fists on the table, startling her youngest son.</p><p>“No, Louie! I’m a <em> bad </em>mother! You all said it yourselves, remember? When Mrs. Beakley called you guys for a family meeting?” she almost shouted, making wild hand gestures. Louie was at a loss for words.</p><p>“W-What? No! No I—I....” he stammered, making Della scoff again.</p><p>“Yeah. Like I said—world’s <em> worst </em> mom!” she added, pointing to herself. Della then turned her back towards him and crossed her arms.</p><p>“Mom, c’mon. Y-You know that’s not true — ” the green-clad duckling tried to convince her, but she wouldn’t hear it. Instead, she rambled on about how she stole Scrooge’s rocket and flew all the way to the Moon without even <em> thinking </em> about the consequences.</p><p>Louie made a counterargument, saying that yes, she should’ve been more thoughtful about what she was doing, and that leaving three eggs behind wasn’t exactly the smartest plan. But it was in the past, and Della couldn’t change that no matter how hard she tried.</p><p>“That’s exactly the point! I should’ve tried harder to stay!” she yelled. Louie shook his head.</p><p>“What? You think you’re the <em> only </em>one who’s made mistakes?? Well news flash, Mom! So did I!” her youngest son retorted. Della stopped and turned around to face him, eyes widening in shock. Louie sighed again.</p><p>“Look—I get it. It’s easy to avoid everyone and think you’re a bad person. And if anyone loves to talk their way out of situations, it’s <em>me</em>. But you know what else? I realized that—it doesn’t help,” he explained. </p><p>Adding onto that, Louie mentioned how similar Della and Scrooge were when it came to dealing with bad situations that were out of their control. Instead of facing them head-on, they would wallow in self-loathing.</p><p>“You can feel however you want. No one’s gonna stop you, but you <em> can’t </em> avoid your family forever. And yes, we’re gonna have fights that end up with both of us saying <em> horrible </em> stuff to each other, but guess what? That’s life, Mom. You can’t avoid it. Trust me, I’ve tried—and like I said, it didn’t work.” The young trickster stopped to catch his breath before continuing.</p><p>“So we’ll work it out. And anyway, how worse can it get? We’ve already lost Uncle Donald. And I can’t lose anyone else,” Louie admitted, shaking his head. “I-If someone else in our family goes, I-I won’t be able to handle it. I <em> can’t</em>,” he added, tearing up.</p><p>“You really wanna make up for what you did and call yourself a good mom?” the green triplet asked his mother. Della nodded immediately, desperate to right her wrongs as soon as possible.</p><p>“Then don’t push us away. Talk to us, lash out, <em> cry </em> even! Because we <em> all </em> need you here. And I need you to be my <em> mom </em> and tell me that everything’s going to be okay, even if it’s not now.” Louie paused to blink away more tears from his eyes.</p><p>“That’s what Uncle Donald would’ve wanted, because he already made that mistake a <em> long </em> time ago, and he wouldn’t want us to do the same thing and watch our family fall apart—<em>again</em>,” he finished, sniffling once more. Della then sat down and burst into tears.</p><p>“I’m <em> so sorry</em>, baby! I’m <em> really sorry</em>!” she hiccuped. Louie approached her and rubbed his mother’s back gently. “I love you so much!” Della whispered through her sobs.</p><p>“I know you do, Mom,” her son replied softly. “I don’t cope well with change. I-It’s not a <em> you </em> thing, it’s a <em> me </em> thing. And I’m—I’m still working on that. It’ll take some time, but I’ll get there,” he assured her. </p><p>Both of them knew they had a <em> lot </em> more to discuss, but for now, all they needed was each other’s comfort and reassurance that neither of them were going anywhere anytime soon. Same with Huey later on once Dewey brought him back soaking wet.</p><p>“Anyway, I should probably check and see how my brothers are doing,” Louie said thoughtfully and planted a quick kiss on Della’s cheek before walking towards the lobby area. She smiled in awe and struggled not to cry tears of happiness.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>****7 FEBRUARY****</strong>
</p><p>Two days later, Donald’s funeral took place and Scrooge dragged himself to the coffin that contained his nephew’s corpse. Fortunately, the curse had temporarily lifted from Castle McDuck, allowing the old man’s parents (Fergus and Downy) to attend. It took one peek at Donald’s body for Scrooge to collapse in tears and heavy sobs.</p><p>“No! My <em> baby</em>—!” he wailed, Downy holding her son from behind in order to console him. Fergus stared awkwardly at his feet, but he was clearly having a hard time accepting that his own grandson was dead. Mrs. Beakley and Launchpad offered their condolences, keeping their own tears at bay.</p><p>Webby held Della’s hand, hoping to provide some comfort, to which she was grateful. In a way, Webby was practically the daughter Della had always wanted, but for now, they became very close friends. </p><p>Meanwhile, Dewey rested his head on Huey’s chest and wept bitterly while the latter caressed his stuck-up hair in return.</p><p>“S-Sorry, dude. I know I’m supposed to be the strong one, but — ” Dewey lamented until Huey interrupted him.</p><p>“It’s okay, Dew—I know. But I’m still your big brother. I don’t care how cheesy it is. That’s a <em> fact</em>,” the older triplet pointed out. The middle sibling rolled his eyes and chuckled despite the tears falling down his face.</p><p>“Only by <em> three </em> seconds,” he countered, which made them both laugh a little.</p><p>“So um—who’s gonna take care of us?” Dewey wondered. Huey shrugged.</p><p>“I’m guessing Uncle Scrooge will become our primary legal guardian....and Mom,” he replied.</p><p>“Y-Yeah. It’s just—” the blue triplet emphasized, but Huey already figured out what he was talking about.</p><p>“Don’t worry, Dew. <em> I’ll </em> take care of us,” the red triplet declared. Dewey shook his head.</p><p>“Dude, you’re barely <em> twelve</em>. The job market won’t accept you for at <em> least </em> another four years. And besides, Uncle Scrooge has a <em> lot </em> of money — ” he informed him, but Huey cut him off again.</p><p>“I’m only preparing for the <em> worst</em>-case scenario. In case something happens to Uncle Scrooge—or Mom. Then I <em> have </em> to step up and support us,” he reminded his immediate little brother. Dewey stared at him worriedly.</p><p>“But — ” he protested, but again Huey wouldn’t hear it.</p><p>“I’ll figure it out, I <em> promise</em>,” he vowed, planting a quick kiss on Dewey’s forehead as the Junior Woodchuck continued to hold him close. There was <em> no way </em> Huey would let the system take his little brothers away from him if they ended up being orphans. Nope! Not a chance!</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>****28 FEBRUARY****</strong>
</p><p>Three weeks later, Dr. Gearloose received a signal from his so-called Alternate Timeline Communicator. Fenton helped his mentor maintain that signal for another—let’s say uh—20 minutes?</p><p>“Yes! It <em> works</em>! It <em> finally </em> works!” Gyro sighed in relief.</p><p>“Y-You figured it out? Already?” Fenton asked in surprise.</p><p>“Yep! Am I <em> amazing </em> or what?” the chief scientist gloated, placing his hand on his chest for emphasis.</p><p>“Wow!” the superhero exhaled, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. “So now what?”</p><p>“Well uh....we try and see if we can actually hear our alternate selves talking,” Gyro suggested.</p><p>Five minutes later....“Hello? Hello! Can anyone hear me? This is Gyro Gearloose, chief scientist and <em> handsome </em> extraordinaire!” alternate Gyro announced proudly.</p><p>“Jesus....give me that!” Apparently, that was alternate <em> Scrooge’s </em> voice. “And <em> stop </em> showboating!” he scolded his employee by wagging his finger at him.</p><p>“Eh....sorry about that,” the alternate billionaire added sheepishly, chuckling in embarrassment. “February is a short month, and I can’t afford to make <em> any </em> more mistakes with this project.”</p><p>“Um....isn’t February ending in a few hours — ” alternate Gyro pointed out.</p><p>“Will you <em> shut up </em> and LET ME TALK?!” alternate Scrooge bellowed. The alternate scientist yelped and held up his hands defensively.</p><p>“Anyway, as I was saying—Gyro and Fenton from our end managed to successfully transmit a signal to their alternate selves—meaning <em> you two</em>,” the alternate billionaire explained to the main scientific duo, who just stood frozen in place with their mouths agape.</p><p>“Also, since our timelines are significantly divergent at this point, it definitely <em> won’t </em> affect the time stream, so there’s no need to worry about that,” alternate Scrooge reassured everyone before continuing.</p><p>“Besides, I owe it all to Gizmoduck. That means <em> you</em>, Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera. You’re the reason I’ll be able to see my nephew again. After all, he always wanted to become a Senior Woodchuck!” he added, voice shaking with emotion. Main Gyro smiled warmly, while Main Fenton nearly started crying in earnest.</p><p>He then asked, “W-Wait! What d’you mean by <em> Senior Woodchuck</em>?” And then it hit him all of a sudden. Alternate Huey Duck was <em> dead</em>. Either way, the red triplet, no matter what parallel universe or alternate timeline he was from, was Fenton’s <em> best friend</em>. The intern couldn’t take it anymore as he broke down sobbing.</p><p>“I’m so s-sorry, Mr. McDuck!” he blubbered, rubbing his swollen red-rimmed eyes. “I p-promise I’ll look after him in this timeline. I <em> won’t </em> let him die!” Unable to see him like this, Gyro knelt down and rubbed soothing circles on Fenton's back.</p><p>“Don’t worry, Cabrera. We’ll figure it out. Right, Mr. McDuck?” he said assuringly.</p><p>“Exactly. I believe in you, lass,” alternate Scrooge added, smiling genuinely at the poor, brokenhearted superhero from the main timeline.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just so you know, whenever I write "Main" or "Original" timeline, it doesn't mean I'm talking about the canon timeline or universe! It just means that it refers to the events happening in the current chapter. For example, "Main" Gyro and Fenton for Chapter 4 refer to whatever happened in this chapter ("Nothing Can Stop Della Duck!"). If I said "Main" or "Original" in the previous chapter (Chapter 3), it would refer to the events that occured in "The 87 Cent Solution!".</p><p>In addition, Gyro finishes creating his invention by Friday, 02/15. However, it takes several more days to successfully contact people from other timelines. So that's why by Thursday, 02/28, he's finally ready.</p><p>Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! And please re-read the previous three chapters because they're all connected (in a way)! :)</p><p>Also....which character do you think I'll kill off next? &gt;:-)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. *Raiders of The Doomsday Vault! (S2E13)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Before heading back to the Cloudslayer, the golden tree becomes active again and viciously attacks the McDuck trio. Yikes! And where in the world is Donald Duck during all this?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Unfortunately, I didn't add Webby, Mrs. Beakley, Fenton, or Gyro in this chapter. Besides, at this point, they don't have a personal connection with Della Duck. Okay....maybe Gyro does, but it's not like they're besties or anything....I think.</p><p>Then again, I also wanted Scrooge to bond with his great-nephews without anyone else around, so yeah.</p><p>Anywho, hope you enjoy reading this chapter! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****25 FEBRUARY****</b>
</p><p>“This is ridiculous! I <em> won’t </em> allow you to donate my little girl’s organs to charity!” the billionaire screamed at one of the nurses.</p><p>“We’re sorry, Mr. McDuck. But your niece specifically wrote that in her will,” the nurse started to explain.</p><p>“Well too bad! I forbid it!” he told her threateningly.</p><p>“Mr. McDuck, I understand this is difficult for you — ” the nurse tried again, but Scrooge didn’t want to hear it. He began laughing humorlessly at her words.</p><p>“Actually, no. You <em>don’t</em>. You don’t understand what it’s like, and you never will,” he seethed. Nostrils flaring, he took a deep breath and continued.</p><p>“I just got her back! And now she’s gone....!” he almost whispered before stifling a sob with his hand. The nurse gazed at him sympathetically and tried to reach out to him physically.</p><p>“Mr. McDuck, I’m <em> so </em>sorry — ”</p><p>“No, you know what? I’m asking—no—<em>ordering </em> you as the only parent she’s ever known—<em>please</em>. Do not give away her organs to charity! Bury her, cremate her, but I can’t lose her a third time—please!” he begged, voice shaking uncontrollably as the old man made a praying gesture with both hands.</p><p>“Anyway,” he added, sniffling. “I should probably get going. Her kids are waiting for me outside.” With that, he left the nurse’s office and entered the waiting room, where his three great-nephews were sitting, eager to know what had happened just now.</p><p>“Uncle Scrooge....a-are you okay?” the oldest of the triplets asked him, voice laced with concern for his great-uncle’s well-being. The latter sighed shakily and shook his head.</p><p>“It’s not your job to worry about me, lass. I’m fine,” he tried convincing him, but Huey’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration as he glanced at Scrooge with a firm expression.</p><p>“No. You’re <em> not </em> fine! Just because you’re an adult, doesn’t mean that you have to stay strong for us all the time. It’s not fair to you or us!” The billionaire was taken back by Huey’s bold statement. The red triplet sighed and spoke with a softer tone.</p><p>“Look, what I mean is—you don’t have to pretend that everything’s okay, ‘cause news flash—it’s <em> not</em>. And it’s okay to not be fine. You’re allowed to let yourself go just like the rest of us,” the 11-year-old pleaded, permitting Scrooge McDuck to break down and cry whenever he needed it.</p><p>And that, my friends, is when the billionaire finally gave into his feelings and took Hubert’s advice. Scrooge muffled his sobs with one hand while cupping the Junior Woodchuck’s cheek and stroked it with the other. </p><p>The duckling struggled to keep his own tears at bay as he watched his uncle cry, but he managed to wrap both hands around Scrooge’s arm, squeezing it consolingly.</p><p>“Thank you,” the old man breathed out once he had calmed down a little. In return, Huey flashed him a warm smile tinted with sadness. </p><p>Before Scrooge could process what happened next, the oldest triplet barreled into him and squeezed his torso. Smiling back, the older duck ran his fingers through his nephew’s hair. And somehow, the latter’s hat didn’t fall off.</p><p>Meanwhile, the youngest brother had dozed off several minutes earlier. Louie’s head was on Dewey’s shoulder as he snored softly. The middle brother’s arm was draped around the youngest triplet’s shoulders protectively. </p><p>On the other hand, the blue triplet was wide awake, staring numbly into space while sobbing softly.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m <em> so </em>sorry,” he mouthed, face scrunched up due to the tears.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****16 DAYS AGO (9 FEBRUARY)****</b>
</p><p>“I’ve got you,” Della reassured her middle son while Dewey gripped her shirt tightly, trembling in fear as tears had collected in his eyes. The pilot let go but kept her firm grip on Dewey’s shoulders. “I’ve <em> always </em> got you,” she repeated, aware that Scrooge and Glomgold were standing a few feet away from them.</p><p>Several minutes later, the golden tree flung all four of them out the door as Dewey lamented over not being good enough for his mom to be proud of. In return, Della comforted him and said that he didn’t have to prove anything to her because he would always be enough no matter what.</p><p>After sharing a heartfelt embrace, Glomgold left and Scrooge helped his kids fix the giant tree and carry the seeds that they found inside the vault. Unfortunately, that tree became active again and refused to spare the trio, flinging them towards the Cloudslayer. Before losing consciousness, Scrooge could’ve sworn he heard a loud <em> snap</em>.</p><p>Once the old man had reawakened, he stared groggily at his niece and great-nephew, who remained unconscious. The middle triplet woke up instantly and asked what had happened. After Scrooge explained the situation, Dewey decided to find his mother and thank her for encouraging him to just be himself.</p><p>“Woo hoo! We did it, Mom! You were right! We’re safe!” he exclaimed happily, briefly doing his victory dance. “Now you gotta admit that I’m the <em>best</em> son ever!” he bragged playfully, hoping he’d make her laugh.</p><p>However, she didn’t respond, which made Dewey’s smile falter. <em> Did she </em> <b> <em>faint</em></b><em>? </em> “Mom?” he asked her worriedly, shaking her shoulders. </p><p>“Mom!” he repeated, voice trembling again. “MOM!” he nearly screamed, unaware that his uncle was standing several feet away.</p><p>“HELP! UNCLE SCROOGE!” Dewey yelled in terror while trying to find a pulse. Sadly, there wasn’t one. The billionaire trudged past the snow and found the boy freaking out, hovering over Della’s body. Scrooge gasped and ran over to them, demanding answers.</p><p>“Sh-She’s not breathing!” the blue triplet stammered, tears threatening to spill from his dark eyes. Scrooge suddenly had a thoughtful yet determined expression.</p><p>“Move aside, lad. I’ll try something,” he said, gently pushing Dewey away from his niece’s side as the old adventurer prepared to give her chest compressions.</p><p>“C’mon, lass! Don’t you give up now! You’re <em> Della Duck</em>!” Scrooge was desperate. It was scary for Dewford ‘cause he was <em>never</em> desperate.</p><p>But the tragedy of this situation was—that snap Scrooge heard before he fell unconscious had apparently been Della’s neck. The impact of her fall was fatal. In other words, there was no way out of it.</p><p>“Oh God! Please no!” Scrooge whispered, tears rapidly streaming down his cheeks as they fell into the snow beneath him. “No! Not again! I just got you back!”</p><p>“Wait....i-is she—?” Dewey hoped it wasn’t what he thought it was, but his uncle’s devastated expression had confirmed his fears and destroyed his hopes of Della miraculously coming back to life.</p><p>“No—!” he exhaled, grief-stricken. Dewey’s entire body was numb, unaware of the tears falling down his own face. He maintained the same expression all the way back home while Scrooge drove the Cloudslayer.</p><p>Almost two hours later, they landed near the front door of McDuck Manor and entered the house, eyes bloodshot and swollen from crying nonstop. Scrooge had burst into sobs and hiccups, whereas Dewey continued to weep silently, still numb due to the trauma he faced earlier today.</p><p>The mansion was quiet—<em>too </em> quiet for Dewey’s liking if it were a normal day. Unfortunately, things were far from normal right now. Della Duck was dead, and she’d never come back—<em>ever</em>. It was—how can I put this? <em>Gut-wrenching</em>.</p><p>"I-I....I can't—!" Scrooge wept loudly, muffling his sobs with his coat. Dewey gazed at him sympathetically and placed a comforting hand on his uncle's shoulder.</p><p>"It's okay. You don't have to tell them. I will," the 11-year-old offered. <em>Oh my <strong>sweet child</strong>! When did you grow up so <strong>fast</strong>?</em> The old man pondered despite his tears.</p><p>"Bless you, lad. I'll be upstairs in my office if you need me. I just have to get it together," he added with a forlorn expression. Dewey understood as they both went their separate ways.</p><p>“Man! That guy was <em>hilarious</em>!” the middle triplet heard his older brother exclaim wildly before bursting into uncontrollable laughter.</p><p>“I know, right?! Hey, did you watch his last stand-up routine?” Louie added joyously, averting his gaze from his laptop. Huey nodded ecstatically.</p><p>“Yep! It was awesome!” Both triplets performed a little victory dance before they agreed to inform their mother and Dewey about it. And speaking of Dewford....</p><p>“Hey Dew! You’re just in time!” his brothers greeted him enthusiastically. The said triplet scratched the back of his neck before slowly approaching them with a somber expression.</p><p>“Whoa! What rained on <em> your </em> parade this morning?” Louie teased, still chuckling.</p><p>“Sorry we didn’t go with you and Mom to the vault. I’m sure that you guys enjoyed spending some quality time together. You know, one-on-one. That way, she’d get to know us as individuals instead of just triplets.” Huey did make a good point. After Only Child Day, the three of them had finally embraced their differences rather than their similarities.</p><p>Dewey, however, remained frozen in place, gazing down at his own feet. As his older brother, Huey began to worry a little.</p><p>“Uh—Dew? You okay? You seem a bit—<em>off</em>,” he deduced. The middle triplet continued giving them the silent treatment. Okay—even Louie was worried at this point.</p><p>“Seriously? What happened to you? Did you have a fight with Uncle Scrooge or something?” he suspected. Dewey scoffed sadly.</p><p>“Or something,” he repeated almost inaudibly. His brothers were taken back, now totally confused.</p><p>“Uh....what d’you mean by ‘or something’?” Huey demanded, annoyed that his blue-clad brother wasn’t communicating with them properly.</p><p>“Dew!” The oldest triplet tried to snap him out of it, growing more impatient by the second. The middle brother suddenly flinched and looked up. Huey gasped softly once he studied Dewey’s puffy scarlet-rimmed eyes and dried tear tracks on his cheeks.</p><p>“Dude, what <em> happened</em>?” Louie asked in shock, though he didn’t leave his own bed.</p><p>“You don’t look so good. Are you falling sick?” Huey presumed, checking his temperature by gently slapping his palm on Dewey’s forehead. <b> <em>Nope</em></b><em>. His temperature’s pretty much </em> <b> <em>normal</em></b><em>. </em> A lone tear suddenly fell down the blue triplet’s left cheek.</p><p>“Dew? Hey—w-what’s wrong?” the red triplet asked using his <em> big-brother </em> voice before placing his hand on Dewford’s cheek, stroking it softly before letting go. And that’s when he finally couldn’t take it anymore as Dewey burst into hiccuping sobs.</p><p>“M-Mom! It’s all my fault sh-she’s gone! I-I’m <em> so </em>sorry!” he wailed before muffling his sobs with one hand. As Huey leaned forward, Dewey expected either a painful slap, punch, or an official disownment declaration from his big brother. Instead, he received none of those things as Huey brought him in a firm hug.</p><p>“Shh....” the oldest triplet shushed him quietly while rubbing his back for the next two minutes before telling Dewey to take deep breaths. “Now tell us what happened,” the Junior Woodchuck demanded softly. The middle sibling hesitated for a second before gazing at his brothers.</p><p>“It’s okay, take your time,” Huey added tenderly while Louie struggled to maintain a stoic façade. Apparently, the green triplet could barely process what was happening. <em> Mom’s </em> <b> <em>dead</em></b><em>?? But </em> <b> <em>how</em></b><em>?? </em></p><p>And so Dewford Dingus Duck began recalling his adventure, deciding not to spare any details for his brothers’ sake. He told them everything, including his first pilot lesson and crash-landing, Scrooge’s idiotic rivalry with Glomgold, Ludwig Von Drake’s final message, the golden tree, Della’s constant reassurances and encouragement, etc.</p><p>Once he finished narrating, Dewey resumed his sob fest. Louie couldn’t help but quietly shed tears of his own as Huey wept heavily, leaving teardrops all over his prime copy of the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook. And that’s when the boys realized that what was supposed to be the <em> best </em> day ever—actually turned out to be the <em> worst</em>, most traumatizing experience of their lives.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (25 FEBRUARY)****</b>
</p><p>“Dewey? C’mere, lad,” Scrooge told him while tapping his cane, indicating where Dewey should stand. The said triplet hesitantly moved forward, afraid of looking his uncle in the eye.</p><p>“Look at me, son.” Dewey obeyed, his bloodshot eyes spilling out more tears. Scrooge quickly wiped them away with his thumb before continuing.</p><p>“Whatever happened back there near the Doomsday Vault—it <em> wasn’t </em> your fault,” he stated firmly. “I don’t want you to <em> ever </em> feel this way. Trust me, I’ve been there more times than I can <em> count</em>.” The old man chortled sadly while fondling with Dewey’s hair. Huey smiled mournfully at both of them.</p><p>“Now—Huey, I want you to hold your brother’s hand,” Scrooge instructed his red-clad nephew. Dewey’s tears abruptly stopped as he regarded his uncle surprisingly before turning his head towards his older brother. Huey then swiftly grabbed his little brother’s hand and held it tightly against his own chest.</p><p>“Basically, I’m asking—no—<em>insisting </em> you all to just promise me one thing.” Both triplets gazed at each other curiously and shrugged before turning back to Scrooge. What in the <em> world </em> was he talking about??</p><p>“No matter what happens, no matter how bad things get, you three will always stick together. The last thing I want for you is to fall apart like your Uncle Donald and I did after your mother had disappeared. I won’t lie. It might seem that we managed altogether, but we didn’t. In fact, it was <em> hard</em>.” Huey and Dewey gazed pitifully at their uncle, continuing to listen. </p><p>At this point, Louie had also woken up and held onto Huey’s other hand, squeezing it tightly. He wasn’t crying, but the lad was pretty damn close.</p><p>“I remember spending the first few months on my couch, refusing to eat or drink properly while sending up spare rockets to search for Della, but none of them were successful. For the next couple of years, I collaborated with space programs around the world, ordering their top scientists to continue their search. Afterwards, they gave up completely, claiming it was no use. My niece was <em> gone</em>.”</p><p>Hubert still held onto his brother’s hand that was brought near his own chest, refusing to let go. A few droplets ran down his cheeks while the middle triplet’s tears resumed falling, unable to stop this time as he broke into more heartbreaking sobs.</p><p>“Except....she wasn’t. She managed to survive for eleven years on the <em> Moon</em>. I dunno how, but she did! Deep down, I always knew that girl was too stubborn to die! After all, she was Della Duck!” Scrooge blurted out, almost laughing in earnest. The moment was short-lived, however, when he reminded them of the aftermath.</p><p>“She finally returned to Earth and met you three. And boy, she was <em> so </em>happy! And so was I....until 16 days ago, which was about two weeks after she settled in. Not that I blame you, Huey, or Louie, for not wanting to join us.” He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing his speech.</p><p>“But overall, she enjoyed getting to know you three as individuals. Your mother loved you so much that she planned two <em> other </em> separate adventures in order to spend a fair amount of time with each of you.” This time, Louie did start crying. </p><p>“Sh-She <em> did</em>?” he squeaked. Scrooge nodded, smiling sadly. Dewey then glanced at his younger brother who started crying harder before reaching out to him with his other hand. The green-clad duckling gladly accepted it before realizing that all their arms were getting tangled, causing the trio to fall down immediately.</p><p>The boys started laughing then, followed by Scrooge. Dewey was stuck in the middle this time, with Huey on his left while Louie was on his right. </p><p>The middle triplet suddenly exclaimed through sob-filled laughs, “God, we look ridiculous!” He then pulled Louie towards him with his free arm until the latter’s head was resting on his stomach.</p><p>Huey added in agreement, “Yeah. Maybe you guys should scoot over a little. I feel like I’m getting crammed here.” His brothers winced and moved slightly to their right. “That’s better, thanks.”</p><p>Dewey suddenly added, “Sorry, Uncle Scrooge. You were saying?” The billionaire gazed at him incredulously, unable to form a coherent answer.</p><p>“I um—well....I don’t....Actually, you know what? I just realized—I have <em> nothing </em> to worry about.” Which was exactly the point. Scrooge didn’t have to worry about his nephews falling apart because their sibling bond was unbreakable.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****15 DAYS AGO (10 FEBRUARY)****</b>
</p><p>The following morning after Della Duck’s death, Huey and Louie remained fast asleep on the latter’s bed. Meanwhile, the middle triplet quietly exited the room and accidentally bumped into Scrooge, who had just finished bawling his eyes out.</p><p>“U-Uncle Scrooge?” Dewey blurted out, not knowing how to console his uncle. Even though the child lost his own mother, the old man was forced to grieve over his niece for a second time. The only difference—she was <em> actually </em> dead this time with clear evidence to support that.</p><p>“I um....I called my booking agent just now. H-He said that your uncle never made it onboard,” Scrooge confessed in a low, croaky voice. He then cleaned his nose with a handkerchief from his back pocket.</p><p>For Dewey, the world had just ended. As of now, he had no parents, no guardians, no <em> nothing</em>. Well....except for his brothers, of course. But don’t worry! Donald wasn’t dead! He was relaxing on the Moon, obviously (define 'relaxing')! Although, Dewey didn’t know that—not <em> yet </em> anyway. So here’s how he reacted to the news.</p><p>“So....he’s gone too?” the 11-year-old whimpered before the poor boy became inconsolable, sobbing heavily. Two slender arms wrapped around his middle from the side, shushing him softly while running fingers through Dewey’s tangled hair. <b> <em>Huey</em></b><em>! </em> Scrooge deduced.</p><p>“Uncle Scrooge, what’s he talking about?” Huey asked fearfully.</p><p>“H-He’s not—I don’t think he’s <em> dead</em>, lass. I mean, he’s definitely missing. Besides, if he did die, the news would have reported it already.” Hearing this, Dewey started to cry harder in his big brother’s arms. Jesus Christ! I know I’m the narrator, but you’re not helping, Scrooge! Say something else!</p><p>“Then where is he?” the red triplet demanded shakily.</p><p>“I don’t know, lad. I don’t know....” Scrooge whispered brokenly.</p><p>Meanwhile, on the Moon....</p><p>“His name is Donald Duck....Della Duck’s twin brother,” Lunaris snarled, causing Penumbra to shiver in disgust. <em> Oh </em> <b> <em>God</em></b><em>! What have I </em> <b> <em>done</em></b><em>?! </em></p><hr/><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (25 FEBRUARY)****</b>
</p><p>“I think we should go home,” Scrooge suggested. The triplets yawned loudly in agreement before falling asleep in the limo.</p><p>“Hey uh—Mr. McD?” Launchpad suddenly asked.</p><p>“Yes, Launchpad?”</p><p>“Is uh—is Donald okay? Did you find him yet?” Scrooge was surprised at Launchpad openly expressing his concern for the one and only Donald Duck. I mean, they barely interacted in general!</p><p>Nonetheless, the billionaire sighed defeatedly. “No, not yet. But I swear—if I have to travel the world 500 times in order to find him, then so be it,” Scrooge swore while his nephews were snoring softly beside him, Louie’s head on Dewey’s shoulder, and the latter’s head on Huey’s chest.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know I killed off Della too soon in this chapter. I mean, she just reunited with her family (minus Donald) in the previous episode ("Nothing Can Stop Della Duck!"), but since I already killed off Scrooge and Dewey in previous chapters, I thought I'd only make her the victim in this one.</p><p>I also didn't include Della's funeral scene because I couldn't come up with a good one so far, and I apologize for that.</p><p>As of right now, I'm only killing off one character at a time in each chapter.</p><p>Hope you liked it anyway! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. *The Dangerous Chemistry of Gandra Dee! (S2E15)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After Fenton manages to save Huey and Webby, a mysterious rock is thrown at his head, causing the superhero to ultimately lose his balance and fall on his back. Meanwhile, Webby struggles with her own grief and seeks advice from Della herself.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So....get ready for some Della &amp; Webby bonding! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****10 FEBRUARY****</b>
</p><p>Everyone knew that the youngest billionaire in Duckburg was fucking <em>Mark Beaks</em>. To add onto that, many people assumed he was an intelligent self-starter who founded Waddle, the home of the world’s most innovative technology (a.k.a. Project Tah-Dah). Of course, it turned out to be a total hoax, forcing him to consider villainy as his official back-up plan.</p><p>Then all of a sudden, his fame was taken over by Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera a.k.a. Gizmoduck, whom Beaks had loathed since the beginning of time itself. From stealing the poor guy's suit to nearly murdering his viewers in plain sight (luckily he failed) while giving his speech. Though ironically, Mark always referred to his sworn enemy as an <em> amigo </em>(friend).</p><p>Hell, he even went as far as ruining his so-called <em> date </em> with Mark’s assistant: Gandra Dee! Despite Huey and Webby constantly offering their support as well as organizing a fancy Italian-American fusion-style dinner, that selfish bastard still managed to locate their whereabouts and kidnap the children.</p><p>“I’ve got your kids!” he boasted while stuck in his Hulk formation. “Maybe—I'm not sure how this family works!” he added unsurely before grabbing Huey and Webby despite their protests.</p><p>“You ruined Fenton’s date! Where is your heart, man!” the red triplet berated him to which Beaks rolled his eyes, indicating that he didn’t give a shit. The only time he did was when his devices were in trouble. And speaking of social media—he was on a <em> roll </em> tonight!</p><p>Until Beaks got defeated yet again by Fenton. This time with help from Gandra herself. After parting ways, the superhero decided to head back to Gyro’s lab and clean up. However, he forgot one more thing.</p><p>“READY TO COME DOWN ANYTIME NOW!” the oldest triplet hollered from the tower, clearly traumatized as well as gradually developing a fear of heights.</p><p>“Sorry, guys! I’m coming!” Fenton shouted, dashing towards the tower’s entrance while searching for a thick rope with a grappling hook. Oh yeah! He found one! Woo hoo! Wait—no time for celebrations yet! He had to save them first!</p><p>Unfortunately, things didn’t work out the way they planned. Why, you ask? Well—when a rock is thrown at your head, you start to get dizzy and see double. And that’s exactly what happened to Fenton after he instructed the kids to climb down the rope until they successfully reached the ground. The superhero, however, had yet to descend himself.</p><p>“Thanks, Fenton—AH! DUDE, LOOK OUT!” Huey suddenly screamed in terror, anticipating that rock. Webby held Huey’s arm, silently praying that Fenton had heard the boy’s warning. Next thing they knew, he yelped and lost his grip on the concrete, falling and falling and falling. Everything happened in slow motion before the kids heard a loud THUD!</p><p>“FENTON!” both of them shrieked loudly before sprinting towards where he fell. Once they saw him, Webby gasped in horror while Huey did the same. There was a large pool of red liquid surrounding Fenton’s body. Apparently, he had fallen on his back.</p><p>If he did manage to permanently damage his spinal cord. Well, that would be bad. Best-case scenario: Fenton would’ve been paralyzed for the rest of his life. Worst-case scenario....he would’ve—well—you already know what I’m talking about.</p><p>“We need to—w-we need to c-call a hospital!” Huey said frantically, clutching his own chest to prevent himself from having a panic attack. </p><p><strong><em>No</em></strong><em>! Snap </em> <em>out</em> <em> of it, Hubert! Fenton </em> <b><em>needs </em></b><em>you</em> <em> right now! </em></p><p>“On it!” Webby replied in agreement, pulling out her phone and dialing 911.</p><p>“Hello, this is 911. What’s your emergency?” the receptionist asked politely. While Webby quickly explained the whole situation, Huey continued staring at his severely wounded best friend. Just by looking at him, the red triplet knew that Fenton had a 0.00001% chance of making a full recovery, let alone an actual recovery.</p><p>Once the paramedics had arrived, they observed the damage and concluded that Fenton’s spinal cord was indeed broken. They weren’t able to contact Officer Cabrera right away, because she was busy dealing with a ruthless drug dealer 20 miles south. But sadly, it was too late. The superhero was already long gone.</p><p>“Time of death—8:59pm,” the senior paramedic announced. “I’m sorry, kids. We did everything we could, but....” she trailed off guiltily. However, Huey’s tears refused to fall until one of the junior paramedics offered them a ride home. Webby gazed at her friend mournfully, twin tears streaming down her own cheeks.</p><p>“I uh—I....” he choked out in a gruff voice, scratching his head while breathing unevenly. The Junior Woodchuck suddenly clutched his chest again, his breaths getting heavier by the second. Everything was spinning.</p><p>“Easy, kiddo. Take deep breaths. Inhale—exhale....” the same paramedic instructed him by using corresponding gestures. Huey obeyed, quickly recovering from his panic attack.</p><p>“Better?” the woman asked. He nodded silently, swollen bloodshot eyes fixated on the floor beneath him.</p><p>Webby didn’t let go of Huey’s hand until they reached home. As the latter headed straight for bed, he briefly checked his watch.</p><p><em>Shit</em><em>! It’s </em> <b> <em>11:05pm</em></b><em>! </em> He winced. Anyway, it didn’t matter. Huey’s life was completely shattered at this point.</p><p>Dewey and Louie were already asleep, snoring soundly. Huey continued staring at his brothers as if they would disappear at any given moment. No! He couldn’t bear losing them too! And the Junior Woodchuck swore that would never happen under his watch. </p><p>The red triplet brushed Louie’s hair back before climbing up the ladder to see how Dewey was doing. That’s what Huey often did at night anyway—checking to see if his little brothers were okay. Luckily, the middle triplet was fine. He probably dreamt about eating an endless supply of candy or something. Regardless, Huey stroked his hair for a bit before crying himself to sleep on his own bed.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****13 FEBRUARY****</b>
</p><p>For the next three days, the whole family noticed that Huey and Webby were being unusually quiet and withdrawn, and they had absolutely no idea why....until they sat down and watched the news.</p><p>“Wait—WHAT??!!” Dewey almost screamed in horror.</p><p>“Hold on! This whole time, <em> Fenton </em> was Gizmoduck??” Louie asked curiously, though he was also shocked to hear about his death.</p><p>Apparently, Della was the only other person who knew what actually happened, but for the sake of everyone else, she put on a surprised façade.</p><p>“Those two lads that he saved....who were they?” Scrooge had a large suspicion that it correlated with Huey and Webby’s odd behavior lately, but he didn’t dare to voice his own opinions. That’s when Webbigail started approaching them cautiously. Yeah—great timing!</p><p>“Webbigail, sweetheart? Is there something you wanted to tell us?” Mrs. Beakley asked her granddaughter, eyebrows raised and arms crossed.</p><p>In retrospect, she also knew what really happened, but unlike Della, she kept it a secret, hoping that Webby would eventually open up to her at some point.</p><p>“Um....it’s about Fenton,” she said almost inaudibly, playing with her hands and feet.</p><p>“You were one of those two kids. Weren’t you, lass?” Scrooge deduced softly. Webby nodded fervently, tears gathering in her eyes. The other adults cast her worried looks.</p><p>“It’s not me you should be worried about.” She gulped loudly and added, “Frankly, I dunno if Huey’s ever gonna get through this.”</p><p>The girl’s voice was shaky, which scared the other two triplets standing in front of her. Webby was never this vulnerable in front of anyone—ever.</p><p>But more importantly, Dewey and Louie were worried about their brother’s current state, which he successfully hid from them. So I guess Louie wasn’t the only expert at putting on façades.</p><p>“Let’s go see how he’s doing,” Louie stated firmly. Dewey nodded in agreement before they headed upstairs to seek their distraught older brother.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****2 DAYS AGO (11 FEBRUARY)****</b>
</p><p>“Oh sweetie! I’m <em> so </em>sorry!” Della whispered shakily while stroking her son’s disheveled hair. Huey’s face was scrunched up as tears fell shamelessly from his puffy red eyes.</p><p>“W-What do I do? What do I do?” he blubbered, bursting into more hiccuping sobs. The pilot bent down to kiss her son’s head before shaking her head, running fingers through his hair again.</p><p>“My baby....if I could go back in time and save him, then I would—a million times over.” And that was true, because it broke Della’s heart to see her oldest child in so much pain.</p><p>After half-an-hour, Huey’s sobs died down before he asked, “Mom, w-what time is it?” His voice was incredibly hoarse due to the tears. Della frowned, checking her phone.</p><p>“Um—it’s almost 5:00(pm). Uncle Scrooge is probably on his way back right now with your brothers.” The red-clad duckling nodded as he sniffled.</p><p>“Then I should probably get ready,” he croaked as Huey dragged himself out of the room, washing his eyes and nose with warm water in order to clear any evidence that he’d been crying.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****1 DAY AGO (12 FEBRUARY)****</b>
</p><p>This time, Della found Webby sobbing quietly outside the same bathroom. She then walked towards her slowly and crouched down to her level.</p><p>“Honey, what is it?” Della asked sweetly, cupping Webby’s wet cheeks.</p><p>“It’s just that—I actually remember what it felt like—being in Huey’s position,” the girl confessed tearfully, which caught Della by surprise. Regardless, she continued to listen.</p><p>“When I lost Lena, it was the <em> worst </em> day of my life. Sure, Uncle Scrooge had just reunited with his family, but I was broken. I didn’t wanna do anything or feel anything. I just wanted to curl up in a ball and go away.” At this point, Webby started to cry harder, but she kept going.</p><p>“But then—she came back, and it felt like I could breathe again. It was amazing,” she nearly whispered, now shedding tears of joy and relief, chuckling slightly. Unfortunately, that moment was short-lived as her smile turned back into a frown.</p><p>“But Huey?” Webby shook her head. “Fenton was his best friend—and he died right in front of him. And unlike Lena, it was <em> real</em>. He was really dead. There was no magical spell to bring him back to life. Fenton was gone.”</p><p>She then snapped her fingers as a gesture. “Just like that.”</p><p>“And he’s never coming back,” the 12-year-old concluded before sniffling, trying to keep the tears at bay.</p><p>Della nodded sadly. “I know, sweetie. I wish more than anything to bring Fenton back so that Huey would have his best friend again.”</p><p>Webby gazed up at her sadly. “I just don’t know how to help him. I mean, I understand what he’s going through—but not really. Lena came back, but Fenton didn’t,” she pointed out.</p><p>“Either way, you still lost her—even though you got her back. Trust me, Huey will feel much better once you talk to him.”</p><p>And Della was absolutely right. Despite Lena gaining a second life, if you may, Webby’s grief remained justified because Lena did die (temporarily). So Huey’s grief was pretty much the same, even though Fenton’s death was permanent.</p><p>“I know....and thank you,” the 12-year-old replied gratefully.</p><p>“You’re welcome.” Della smiled back, letting go of Webby’s face before heading off to the kitchen.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (13 FEBRUARY)****</b>
</p><p>Okay, so where were we? Oh yes! Dewey and Louie were going to see how their brother was doing.</p><p>“Hue? Are you there?” Louie asked hesitantly, peeking through the door.</p><p>“Come in.” Huey’s voice was strained due to the tears. His brothers climbed up to his bunk bed and gasped once they noticed his bloodshot eyes and wet cheeks. His hair remained disheveled.</p><p>“Dude, we are <em> so </em>sorry.” Huey was surprised to hear how genuine Louie’s apology had sounded.</p><p>“Yeah. I can’t believe he’s really gone,” Dewey blurted out in disbelief, his voice shaking a little. Louie scoffed at his brother’s words.</p><p>“Sure. Like he doesn’t know that already!” he snapped at him sarcastically.</p><p>“What? I’m just trying to help!” Dewey retorted, facing his little brother.</p><p>“Well stop helping!” Louie nearly screeched.</p><p>“Guys! Please don’t fight,” Huey begged them, struggling not to burst into tears again. Although the boy knew he’d fail in a moment.</p><p>“Sorry,” his brothers muttered in unison. And that’s when the moment had finally arrived.</p><p>“I can’t—! I’m sorry!” the red triplet sobbed, hiccuping loudly. Dewey crawled over to his older brother and instantly wrapped his arms around him, bringing Huey’s head towards his own chest. On the other hand, Louie began rubbing soothing circles on his back.</p><p>“I just—I miss him so much! It’s not f-fair!” Huey wailed. “And I don’t even know who threw that stupid rock at him!”</p><p>His eyes scrunched up as he added, “God! I-It’s all my fault!” before resuming his weeping fest. Dewey shook his head and brought his red-clad brother closer.</p><p>“First of all, it’s <em> not </em> your fault. And second, you’re gonna make yourself sick if you keep on saying it,” he countered, tearing up himself. Well....the kid had a point.</p><p>“Dewey’s right, dude. You gotta stop blaming yourself,” Louie added pointedly.</p><p>“B-But what about Mrs. Cabrera?” Then again, the oldest triplet also had a good point. Dewey and Louie cast each other confused looks.</p><p>“Um....what d’you mean?” the green-clad triplet asked, still rubbing his oldest brother’s back.</p><p>“What I’m feeling is ridiculous compared to what she’s going through. I lost my best friend, but she l-lost her son!” Huey whimpered. Both brothers gazed at him sadly.</p><p>“I mean, can you imagine? Having your <em> own </em> child taken away from you?” His voice wavered as he spoke. “Just like that?” </p><p>Huey shook his head abruptly. “She’ll never forgive me. I—I can’t face her. I just can’t do it! I know she blames me for the incident,” he concluded gravely.</p><p>“She won’t,” Dewey insisted, biting back more tears.</p><p>“She will!” Huey argued before his tears resumed. “And she <em>should</em>!” he hiccuped. “I-I’m <em> sorry</em>!”</p><p>This time, Louie circled his arms around Huey’s body, while Dewey’s arms remained in the exact same spot.</p><p>“Shh....it’s gonna be okay,” the youngest whispered while Dewey planted a quick kiss on top of his big brother’s head.</p><p>“N-No! No, it’s not! It’ll <em> never </em> be okay! I can’t do this!” the Junior Woodchuck blubbered in his brothers’ arms. “I-I dunno how Webby did it, ‘cause she’s right—it’s torture!”</p><p>“We're here for you, bro, and it will be okay,” the young trickster promised. Huey suddenly laughed through his tears.</p><p>“Geez! Y-You guys are such saps!” he teased, lowering his head so that it rested on Dewey’s stomach while the middle triplet kept his hold, shrugging nonchalantly.</p><p>“Well that’s our speciality, Hubert,” Dewford reminded him, smiling mischievously before kissing his brother’s head again.</p><p>“I love you guys,” Huey murmured before falling asleep.</p><p>“We love you too,” the younger triplets replied softly, though they remained awake.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****28 FEBRUARY****</b>
</p><p>Gyro Gearloose decided to invite Huey over to test his new invention—the Alternate Timeline Communicator. At first, the 11-year-old was skeptical, but once Gyro explained how safe it was to use, Huey gave in and finally agreed.</p><p>“Alright, c’mon! Testing testing—1....2....3....” the chief scientist muttered impatiently. Man! This was taking forever! Gyro was right. It better work!</p><p>“AH HA! Got it!” he suddenly exclaimed, performing his happy dance. “Woo hoo! It works, baby! Oh! I see my lab, and it looks pretty much identical to mine. So it is an alternate timeline! Yay!” Huey stared at him with a bewildered expression.</p><p>“Whoa!” he mouthed.</p><p>“I know, right? This is so awesome!” Dr. Gearloose giggled excitedly. “Now we’ll get to see who’s on the other side!” And speaking of the other side....</p><p>“Hello? Hello! This is Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera! Can anyone read me? Hello? Are you sure the signal went through, Dr. Gearloose?” It couldn’t be....but it was! Then again, he was from another timeline.</p><p>“Uh....well yeah! Duh! Who d’you think I <em> am</em>? Albert Einstein?” Alternate Gyro snapped, rolling his eyes at the intern.</p><p>“Of course not! You’re more like a....actually, I don’t know. Then again, you don’t really connect with anyone,” Alternate Fenton pointed out. His boss looked offended.</p><p>“Excuse me?! I connect with lots of people! Thanks for asking!” the alternate chief scientist retorted sarcastically while pouting. </p><p>That’s when Huey and Alternate Fenton finally cast their eyes on each other, slowly processing what was happening. The superhero eventually gasped, eyes watering.</p><p>“H-Huey?” he exhaled shakily, almost losing his balance. “Oh my God! It’s you! It’s <em> really </em>you!” he then exclaimed, breaking down in joyous tears as he muffled his sobs.</p><p>At the same time, Alternate Fenton began laughing half-heartedly, his swollen red eyes studying the boy's face.</p><p>“God! Six months!” he choked out. “<em>Six months </em> without you, a-and n-now—! I just—you’re actually here! This is—God! This is so....I’ve missed you, kiddo. I’ve missed you so much!” the man added tearfully.</p><p>On the other hand, Huey froze, unable to comprehend that his best friend was here (well....technically there), talking to him. Like <em> really </em> talking to him! Then after a few minutes of studying the superhero who lived in that other timeline, the poor lad broke down completely, sobbing out apologies and admitting how much he missed his best friend.</p><p>At first, Alternate Fenton was confused as to why Huey was crying. <em>Did something </em> <em>bad</em> <em> happen to </em> <b> <em>me</em> </b> <em> in </em> <b><em>his </em></b><em>timeline</em><em>?? </em> The aspiring scientist pondered. But once the 11-year-old blurted out the details regarding his other self’s death, it all made sense.</p><p>“I-I wanted to tell you—! I um....y-you’ve always been there for me, and I took you for granted!” Huey wept bitterly while swiping at his puffy red eyes, and all Alternate Fenton wanted to do was travel to his best friend’s timeline and hug him tightly, telling him that everything was going to be okay. Sadly, that wasn’t possible.</p><p>“I know I’ve always had Uncle Donald, and over the past two years, Uncle Scrooge, but you were basically my th-third dad a-and....you’re not just my best friend. You’re my family.”</p><p>Yeah. Now both Gyros were shedding a few tears of their own. But if you asked them, it was just allergies. For now, let’s just savor this moment between two best friends who lost each other and have now been reunited, even if it was temporary....and virtual.</p><p>Alternate Fenton smiled warmly and replied, “And you’re my kiddo.”</p><p>Aw! How sweet! They both loved each other and considered themselves family. Now before this gets too cheesy, let’s switch gears! I wonder what the others were up to....</p><hr/><p>“Well well well,” Dewey sneered at the founder of Waddle Industries. “Look who it is! Mark—fucking—Beaks!” he enunciated with disgust.</p><p>“The jerk-faced motherfucker who almost killed our brother and our best friend!” Louie added venomously, glaring daggers at the blunt-faced parrot.</p><p>“You’re gonna go to jail, buddy! Does the name <em> Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera </em> ring a bell or....have you forgotten already?” Dewey asked rhetorically. Mark Beaks groaned while rolling his eyes.</p><p>“What about Cabrera?” he spat. Suddenly, the doors opened, revealing an extremely pissed-off middle-aged woman in her police uniform.</p><p>“YOU!” she screamed, pointing directly at the youngest billionaire in Duckburg. “You killed my <em>son</em>!”</p><p>Beaks scoffed again, a bit confused. “What?” Oh no! Mrs. Cabrera was <em> not </em> gonna let him get away with the murder of her son. Nope!</p><p>“<em>Well</em>....I received an anonymous call from the boys’ mother,” Officer Cabrera replied, smiling menacingly while giving Dewey a quick fist bump.</p><p>“Yeah!” the said triplet added with confidence. “And Della Duck’s the reason your ass is finally going to prison!”</p><p>“Wait what?! No!” Beaks protested fearfully while the cops started handcuffing him.</p><p>“Take him away, guys,” Louie told the police, also smiling victoriously before high-fiving his immediate big brother.</p><p>“C’mon, boys. I’ll drive you home,” Mrs. Cabrera suggested. Dewey and Louie gave her a thumbs up before hopping inside the car and carefully buckling their seat belts.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****8 DAYS AGO (20 FEBRUARY)****</b>
</p><p>“Alright, lad. Go ahead,” Scrooge encouraged his red-clad nephew to walk towards where Fenton’s mother was standing.</p><p>“I-I dunno, Uncle Scrooge. Maybe I should just — ”</p><p>“Ah bup bup! No buts! Now get moving! You can’t avoid her forever,” the old man objected with a scolding look. Huey sighed defeatedly and obeyed.</p><p>Meanwhile, Della stood beside her uncle as they chatted amongst themselves.</p><p>“You sure this was a good idea, Uncle Scrooge?” she asked him uncertainly. That was before they both observed Huey and Mrs. Cabrera, laughing and crying in each others’ arms.</p><p>“Yeah. I think it’ll be alright,” Scrooge replied, smiling tenderly.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So guess what? The Alternate Timeline Communicator worked! And Huey got to test it firsthand! How cool!</p><p>Overall, I hoped you enjoyed this heartwarming yet gut-wrenching chapter revolving around Huey and Fenton's relationship.</p><p>Also, the next three chapters will revolve around the "Timephoon!" trilogy (S2E21-S2E23), so they'll definitely be Louie-centric. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. *Timephoon! (S2E21)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After Gyro Gearloose's time tub sends everyone back to the present, Della grounds Louie for his reckless behavior. However, some people are instantly killed while being sent back, devastating the whole family. How will they all cope?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Proving how evil I am, I've decided to kill three main characters instead of just one. 😈</p><p>Enjoy! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****6 MARCH****</b>
</p><p>Louie vowed to repair his mistakes as soon as he fixed the time tub mess that he had just created. At first, it seemed to work. His whole family had returned (except for Donald, who was still stuck on the Moon), though not in one piece.</p><p>Della, Webby, Mrs. Beakley, and Launchpad had woken up groggily before the two older adults casted disappointed glares in Louie’s direction. On the other hand, Webby and Launchpad, instantly forgave him for the incident as they hugged and all shook hands, forming a truce.</p><p>His mother, however, didn’t agree. Louie needed to learn from his mistakes, and so she grounded him indefinitely, unaware that Scrooge, Huey, and Dewey weren’t back yet.</p><p>“To your room!” Della ordered, leaving no room for argument by pointing her finger towards the boys’ bedroom. Louie glared at her before walking away from the living room, kicking the floor beneath him.</p><p>“Stupid perfect scheme!” he muttered angrily as he went upstairs to his room and locked it. </p><p>For the next few minutes, he fidgeted with his hands irritably before a thought suddenly occurred. Louie didn’t hear anything from Scrooge or his brothers. Were they just not talking? Or was it something else? I’m gonna go with ‘else’.</p><p>All of a sudden, he heard a horror-filled scream coming from downstairs followed by an agonized roar. Before the schemer planned on finding out what happened, a DT-87 robot blocked his path.</p><p>“Your mother specifically gave me instructions on keeping you here, Llewellyn Duck,” it said in a monotone voice. Louie instantly shook his head in disagreement.</p><p>“<em>What</em>?! No! I need to find out what’s going on down there!” he argued, gesturing towards the door. DT-87 simply blinked at him, refusing to move. Louie groaned loudly.</p><p>“Oh c’mon! Give me a <em> break </em> already! Look....at least show me what happened since you’re not allowed to let me out,” the green-clad duckling insisted, entangling his fingers together in prayer. DT-87 contemplated this and blinked again. This time, the robot obeyed as it turned on its screen and displayed the living room.</p><p>Della was sobbing her heart out while Webby did the same, burying her face in Mrs. Beakley’s chest. No! No no no....this couldn’t be happening! <b> <em>Why</em> </b> <em> are Scrooge, Huey, and Dewey lying on the </em> <b> <em>floor</em></b><em>? And how come Launchpad’s </em> <b> <em>not</em> </b> <em> in the </em> <em>living room</em><em>?! </em></p><p>“Um....w-what’s going on? What happened?” Louie demanded shakily, trying not to assume the worst, but he couldn’t help it after DT-87 confirmed his suspicions.</p><p>“N-No....!” The youngest triplet couldn’t process anything at first. Apparently, his great-uncle and brothers were instantly killed while travelling back to the present from whichever time periods they were in. Scrooge was stabbed in the heart, Huey was force-fed some kind of lethal poison, and Dewey was infected by a deadly virus.</p><p>“I offer my sincerest apologies for your loss,” the robot added, sounding more humane. “Unfortunately, I haven’t received any additional instructions from your mother, so until then, you have access to all the bathrooms and other bedrooms, but any recreational areas are off-limits.”</p><p>But Louie didn’t give a fuck about any of that. All he cared about was his family and how he never got to say goodbye to Scrooge and especially his brothers. Deep down, the trickster wanted to believe this was all just a horrible nightmare and that he’d wake up to Huey’s ridiculous sleep-conversations and Dewey’s obnoxious snoring.</p><p>Tragically, that wasn’t the case. Louie knew the time tub couldn’t fix this, and neither could he. Feeling bile rise in his throat, the green triplet immediately rushed to the nearest bathroom and closed the door, vomiting all over the sink before falling onto his knees. Before he knew it, loud uncontrollable sobs escaped from his lips.</p><p>Don’t get me wrong. Of course Louie missed his uncle, and that grief wouldn’t go away anytime soon—but the pain of losing Huey and Dewey was <em> unbearable</em>, and recovering from it would take months or even years. And Louie knew it was all his <em> fault</em>.</p><p><em> I’m </em> <b> <em>sorry</em></b><em>! </em> <b> <em>Please</em> </b> <em> come back! I’m </em> <b> <em>so sorry</em></b><em>! </em> The green-clad duckling pleaded, still sobbing heavily. His eyes became incredibly red-rimmed and swollen, but Louie didn’t care. </p><p>And that’s when it hit him. No more pulling pranks with his brothers. No more arguments and apologies between them. No more hugs and reassurances from them. No more game nights. No more coming up with exciting business propositions with Scrooge. <em> Nothing</em>. It was <em> all gone</em>.</p><p>Two hours later, Louie had cried himself to sleep before Mrs. Beakley found him sprawled on the floor. Shedding a lone tear for him, she carried the 11-year-old all the way back to his room and set him on his bed.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****11 MARCH****</b>
</p><p>Truth to be told, Della blamed <em> herself </em> for this mess—not Louie. In fact, she assumed that <em> he </em> blamed her too, and so that’s why she had been avoiding him for the past five days. Maybe keeping her distance was for the best—at least until Donald came back.</p><p>On the other hand, Louie continued blaming himself, assuming that Della also accused him for the death of his uncle and brothers, so he was avoiding her too. And to think we’ve had enough of their mother-son angst lately! My God! When was this going to <em>end</em>??</p><p>Aside from that, Webby’s eyes were bloodshot and puffy from crying all day. She refused to eat or drink anything, coping with the loss of her primary father-figure as well as her two best friends. Launchpad offered his support while grieving himself, sobbing over pictures of him and Dewey making silly faces.</p><p>Mrs. Beakley was basically everyone’s rock and shoulder to cry on. Obviously, she put her granddaughter’s needs first, but she always considered the McDucks as part of the family too. Offering Louie maternal support wasn’t a problem for the housekeeper, but she also insisted that Della should be the one comforting her son.</p><p>“I-I can’t, Mrs. B. I told you—Louie probably doesn’t even want to see me. You don’t have to lie. I <em> know </em> that he blames me for what happened,” she objected, rubbing her red-rimmed eyes.</p><p>“Pretty sure it’s the <em> other </em> way around, dear,” the housekeeper muttered pointedly. Della looked up in shock. <em> Wait </em> <b> <em>what</em></b><em>?? </em></p><p>“I—<em>what</em>?? What d’you mean?” Bentina sighed, about to explain that Louie was the one who blamed himself and assumed everyone else did too, <em>especially </em> Della. Unfortunately, Launchpad interrupted them and claimed that Donald never made it on the cruise.</p><p>“They said he must’ve gone missing! That means we gotta find him, right?!” Launchpad asked them frantically while pulling his hair. Mrs. Beakley and Della gave each other startled looks.</p><p>“Launchpad, call the police! I’ll handle the rest,” the housekeeper ordered. The younger pilot nodded before heading back to the lobby. Meanwhile, Della was eager to know what Beakley was about to say. However, now wasn’t the time to bring it up.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****18 MARCH****</b>
</p><p>Today was the day Lunaris and the rest of the Moonlanders (except for Penumbra) decided to invade Earth without mercy. Since Scrooge was already long gone, Mrs. Beakley and Launchpad volunteered in his stead to battle against their late boss’ archenemies.</p><p>Meanwhile, Louie and Webby followed Della’s own plan to stop the invasion, unaware that she wanted to escape from Duckburg permanently. Luckily, she changed her mind after accidentally crash-landing on a deserted island nearby. And what was even <em> more </em> surprising....</p><p>“Donald?”</p><p>“Della?”</p><p>In other words, the ultimate brother-sister duo was reunited after 11 long years. Even Louie and Webby temporarily snapped out of their mournful daze and gasped in shock and confusion, mostly due to the ‘talking’ melon in Donald’s hand.</p><p>After meeting their cousins (Gladstone and Fethry), they teamed up in order to locate Mrs. Beakley and Launchpad, hoping that they’d defeat Lunaris as soon as possible. And thankfully, they did.</p><p>While F.O.W.L. was spying on them from behind the camera, Donald was confused as to why his uncle and older two nephews weren’t present during the battle against the Moonlanders.</p><p>“Hey Della? How come Uncle Scrooge, Huey, and Dewey are not here celebrating with us? They’re not <em>sick</em>, are they?” the sailor asked curiously with a tint of worry.</p><p>“Um....” Della began hesitantly. “I’ll explain everything to you when we get back.” Donald blinked in confusion. <em> What the </em> <b> <em>hell</em> </b> <em> is she </em> <b> <em>talking</em> </b> <em> about?? </em></p><p>“Della — ” he tried again.</p><p>“Not now, Donald,” she interrupted him sternly, blinking back tears. The sailor glanced around helplessly, desperate for someone to tell him what was going on. He then spotted Louie gazing sadly at his own feet while they walked back home.</p><p>Once they reached the mansion, Donald kept on indulging his nephew, now growing impatient as he demanded answers.</p><p>“Th-There was an accident—” Louie whispered hoarsely. And that, my friends, was when the youngest triplet explained everything. How he stole Dr. Gearloose’s time tub and accidentally sent his family to different time periods. By the time he finished, the poor lad burst into uncontrollable sobs and hiccups.</p><p>“I-I’m—! I’m sorry, Uncle Donald! I <em>tried</em>! I r-really did! But I couldn’t—! I couldn’t save them—! A-And I don’t know what to do anymore! I just—I wanna stop crying and blaming myself for everything, but I can’t! And I-I....I miss them <em>so much</em>!” Louie confessed before bursting into heavier sobs.</p><p>“I w-want them back, Uncle Donald! <em> Please </em> bring them back! Please....!” he added, still bawling his eyes out. “Uncle Scrooge, of course I miss him! B-But Huey and Dewey—I <em> can’t </em> live without them! P-Please—I can’t do this!” Louie felt his heart breaking all over again. Except this time, it was just as painful and raw as it was 12 days ago.</p><p>Donald, on the other hand, was brought to tears himself while hearing his nephew sob out countless apologies, begging for his brothers to come back and make everything okay again.</p><p>“I know, baby. I’m <em> so </em>sorry,” the sailor wept, wiping away some of Louie’s tears from his reddened eyes. The former then wrapped his arms around his nephew and held him close, stroking Llewellyn’s head feathers gently.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****22 MARCH****</b>
</p><p>Two weeks after their death, Louie started packing boxes filled with his brothers’ stuff. After spending 16 days crying his eyes out on all three bunk beds, the talented schemer decided that he needed a little distraction from his grief.</p><p>Until he saw photos of himself laughing and smiling with his brothers. That’s when the green triplet began crying for the millionth time today. But this time, his tears were quiet, almost unnoticed as they leaked out of his baggy eyes.</p><p>“Love you guys,” he whispered, bringing the photo close to his chest and cherished this heartfelt moment.</p><p>In addition, the funeral was today. Everyone wore black suits and fancy ties, bringing dozens of flowers and setting them on top of all three coffins. Scrooge and Huey received either red, orange, or yellow flowers, whereas Dewey received mostly blue ones (ranging from green to violet-blue).</p><p>Huey’s entire troop of Junior and Senior Woodchucks were invited, though Violet seemed more upset than anyone else. Even some of Scrooge’s lesser-known enemies agreed to attend. Dewey didn’t really have anyone else other than his family + Lena and Violet.</p><p>Fenton wore a licorice black suit with a crimson red tie, clutching Huey’s lab coat against his chest. Honestly, the guy was a sobbing mess and didn’t even bother to hide the tears. Officer Cabrera and Gyro sat on either side of him while Louie listened close to Mrs. Cabrera’s soothing words.</p><p>“¡Lo siento mucho, pollito!” she cooed while Fenton continued blubbering like a five-year-old. Louie winced, almost forgetting that the superhero had suffered the loss of his best friend. In a way, the youngest triplet was glad he could share his grief with someone else who understood his oldest brother as much as Louie himself did.</p><p>20 minutes later, people started giving their speeches. Donald was first, followed by Della, Webby, Violet, Launchpad, Lena, Bentina, Gyro, Fenton, Gladstone, Fethry, Fergus, Downy, and finally—Louie. There were some who didn’t give a speech, but everyone in the room knew that Louie’s speech would have the most impact.</p><p>“When my brothers and I first met Uncle Scrooge, I’m not going to lie. He <em> was </em> kind of a jerk,” he began, which made some people laugh in earnest. </p><p>“But as the weeks flew by, we got to know him better as not only an adventurer, but as a person too. In general, we’ve had some fights, like all families do—but in the end, we made up and moved on with our lives. There were some surprises along the way.” </p><p>Louie paused for a moment and locked his gaze on Della, who averted her eyes to his dismay. Unbeknownst to him, she did it out of excessive guilt. Despite that, he continued.</p><p>“It wasn’t easy—you know, dealing with them. B-But we—we managed.” His voice was shaky, but Louie forced himself not to cry until he was done. </p><p>Taking a deep breath, he added, “Huey and Dewey were not only my brothers—but also my best friends. I’ve known them my whole life, a-and now they’re—” He stopped again in order to compose himself. <b> <em>C’mon</em></b><em>, man! Get it </em> <b> <em>together</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>“N-Now they’re not here anymore a-and um—” Louie gulped as tears started gathering in his eyes again. <em> Shit! Now I’m gonna start crying in front of </em> <b> <em>30 people</em></b><em>! Way to go, </em> <em>Louie</em><em>! </em></p><p>“I could say that in time, things will get better, but....” The green-clad triplet shook his head in denial, lips quivering. “That’s a lie. They <em> won’t</em>,” he added, choking up.</p><p>“When you’ve known someone for almost <em> twelve </em>years, you learn some things. And Huey and Dewey were the only two people who understood me,” That’s when Louie started to cry.</p><p>“I-I teased them, insulted them, pulled pranks on them, but they <em> still </em> loved me anyway! A-And now they’re gone and they’ll never come b-back!” At this point, Louie was full-out sobbing.</p><p>“And I-I can’t—! I <em> can’t </em> live without them!” he almost whispered, voice choked with tears. Meanwhile, the audience was in tears as well (for the most part).</p><p>“I know I kept on joking about how I’d eventually be the sole heir to Uncle Scrooge’s fortune—but this is <em>not </em> what I meant!” Louie almost screamed, tears of guilt and self-hatred flowing down his face.</p><p>“And I hate the time vortex! I <em>hate </em>it!” he snarled, which scared Donald and Della a little, but they understood why Louie was acting that way.</p><p>“B-But in reality, it was all my <em> stupid fault</em>!” the youngest triplet exclaimed tearfully before sprinting out of the chapel and closing the front doors. He breathed heavily as he ran towards a nearby apple tree, finally breaking down in hysterical sobs.</p><p>“Oh Louie!” he heard Donald whisper in his ear once the latter gathered Louie in his arms and consoled him. Someone else kneeled down in front of the lad as she cleared her throat before speaking.</p><p>“Sweetie—I love you <em> so much</em>. No matter what happened that day, I still love you,” she declared. <em> Wait—</em><b><em>Mom</em></b><em>?! </em> Della then cupped her son’s cheeks and kissed his forehead gently once Louie had calmed down.</p><p>“W-What?” he stuttered, clearly confused. “B-But I — ”</p><p>“No, baby. What happened to Uncle Scrooge and your brothers <em> wasn’t </em> your fault. Even though using the time tub was completely reckless and you shouldn’t have done it anyway, they did <em> not </em> die because of you. Some things are just—beyond our control,” she confessed soothingly while caressing Louie’s cheeks.</p><p>He started sobbing again. “I-I thought—! I thought y-you <em> hated </em> me! That I wasn’t your <em>son </em> anymore — !”</p><p>“Oh honey! No! I could <em> never </em> hate you.” Della was crying too at this point, but her tears were much less than his. And that was all Louie wanted to hear, now knowing that his mother had accepted him 100%. </p><p>“I-I love you too!” he squeaked, leaping into Della’s arms. Louie could’ve sworn he imagined Scrooge, Huey, and Dewey smiling from across the field. And for now, that was more than enough.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Dr. Gearloose's Alternate Timeline Communicator already functions properly at this point, but I didn't involve it in this chapter because I wanted to focus more on how Louie dealt with his grief and guilt over losing three family members at once.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. *GlomTales! (S2E22)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When Louie confronts Glomgold and the rest of Scrooge's enemies back at the mansion, one of them purposely stabs him in the back....literally.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Remember, my friends. Every single chapter is somehow connected, even though it doesn't always involve using Gyro Gearloose's alternate timeline communicator. In addition, there might be some timeline confusion, but I've explained it at the end in order to avoid giving away major spoilers.</p><p>Anyway, some of you begged me to write a Louie death-fic, so here you go!</p><p>Enjoy! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****7 MARCH****</b>
</p><p>Louie had been grounded for at least 12 hours until Scrooge announced that they were going to his favorite destination of all-time: <strong>Big Rock Candy Mountain</strong>. It was considered to be the laziest adventure destination ever! Louie always wanted to go—but you know why he couldn’t.</p><p>Della made it absolutely clear that he was prohibited from doing anything fun, including watching videos on his phone. Instead of confiscating it, however, she blocked all his apps and replaced them with lectures on ethics and morality, starring Della Duck herself.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>****9 <b>MARCH</b>****</strong>
</p><p>“Look, your plans, your schemes, they only lead to bad things for your family. If you wanna be a <em> part </em> of this family—you gotta <em> stop</em>,” she reminded him. Ouch! Well—he sort of deserved it after putting his entire family in existential danger. But <em> did </em> he? Really? His feelings were definitely hurt, but....</p><p><em> You know what? I </em> <b> <em>really don’t</em> </b> <em> wanna think about this right now. </em> <em>First</em><em>, I need to <strong>get </strong></em> <b> <em>out of here</em></b><em>! </em> Louie told himself while changing out of Huey’s spare clothes, wearing his regular green hoodie. Sooner or later, he bumped into Glomgold and his new 'family'. <em> Wait....those guys are </em> <em>actually <strong>willing</strong></em> <em><strong> to</strong> </em> <b> <em>follow him</em></b><em>?! </em></p><p>“Shut up, Louie! Just focus on the task at hand—find your family before it’s too late!” the green-clad triplet silently reprimanded himself. “Okay, let’s go!” Until something terrible happened....</p><p>“Ow!” the duckling whined, clutching the bottom of his back. Apparently, he had been brutally stabbed by Magica De Spell when he wasn’t looking. The weapon was instantly removed before the witch strapped a belt around the poor boy’s waist in order to prevent the wound from opening up, almost like a bandaid.</p><p>Of course, Louie had no idea that he was stabbed in the first place, thinking he had accidentally bumped into something slightly sharp. <em><strong>Ow</strong>! </em>After following the villains to Scrooge’s money bin, his whole family glared at him, feeling betrayed. Fortunately, it was short-lived once the youngster elaborated further.</p><p>Turned out, Glomgold’s <em> real </em> name was Duke Baloney, earning an incredulous look from his great-uncle, thus making Scrooge McDuck the true winner of the bet. <em> Oh </em> <b> <em>yeah</em></b><em>! Take that, </em> <b> <em>Glomgold</em></b><em>! </em> Louie snickered as they happily watched the idiot swim away from the docks. </p><p>Unfortunately, there was one person who still wasn’t satisfied despite their victory. Louie cast a nervous side-glance at his mother.</p><p>“Mom, I know I messed up before, but seeing all the angles is what I’m <em> good </em> at!” Beforehand, Della’s hands were on her hips, about to give her youngest son another scolding. However, she finally considered Louie’s words and hugged him tightly, smiling a little.</p><p>“Okay, but you need to take care to not hurt the ones you love and I’ll be here to help you see the angles that you can’t,” she replied in a parental manner. The latter smiled back.</p><p>15 minutes later, Scrooge said he needed to negotiate with his business rivals overseas, enlisting Della, Mrs. Beakley, and Launchpad to aid him after dropping the kids off back home.</p><p>“Wait, shouldn’t someone stay behind in order to look after them?” Della suggested, unsure as to why her uncle would trust four 11-year-olds to fend for themselves.</p><p>“Eh. I think they’ve earned it. Besides, I trust Huey to keep those three in line,” he pointed out dismissively. Wow! Who knew Scrooge had so much faith in his red-clad nephew? Well—I did. Anyway—where were we? Oh yes!</p><p>The older pilot nodded approvingly. She must’ve trusted her oldest son as well. With that, the adults were off, flying all the way to Quito (Pichincha, Ecuador, South America). Overall, Della was super-excited to travel to a city on <em> Earth </em> for once, instead of the Moon.</p><hr/><p>Meanwhile, the boys and Webby were stuck at home, bored out of their minds.</p><p>“Man! How come Uncle Scrooge and Mom went to Ecuador <em>without </em> us?? I’ve always wanted to explore the cloud forests in person!” Dewey complained, scowling.</p><p>“Does it matter really? I mean, I wouldn’t have been able to <em> go </em> with you guys anyway,” Louie pointed out. His brothers looked at him, utterly confused.</p><p>“Wait—didn’t Mom <em> just </em> un-ground you?” the middle triplet asked with raised eyebrows. Louie averted his gaze in deep thought.</p><p>“Anyway, I dunno about you guys, but I'm exhausted. I’m gonna go to the kitchen and see what’s for dinner,” Webby told them, sniffing a bit. Louie suddenly grimaced, clutching his back.</p><p>“Yeah, I think I’ll hit the sack for a bit,” he added, yawning. His older brothers frowned.</p><p>“Dude, what happened to your back?” Dewey asked worriedly, unaware that his little brother was literally stabbed, though the belt successfully prevented his wound from leaking (or being visible in general).</p><p>“Oh. Um—nothing. I must’ve accidentally bumped into a coffee table or something,” Louie assumed, still wincing from the pain. Huey nodded, ordering his baby brother to go upstairs and rest his back while they’d bring him food.</p><p>“See you guys in a few,” he told them before trudging up the stairs. <em> Urgh! I </em> <b> <em>hate</em> </b> <em> stairs! </em> Thankfully, the bedroom door was unlocked, so Louie slipped out of his green sweatshirt and wore a cleaner one. That’s when he glanced at his waist. <b> <em>Wait</em> </b> <em> a minute! Since </em> <b> <em>when</em> </b> <em> did I start </em> <em>wearing</em><b><em> belts</em></b><em>?? And why is my back </em> <b> <em>paining</em> </b> <em> so much? </em> <b> <em>Ow</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>Once the green triplet took off his belt, he immediately felt dizzy as black spots started clouding his vision. He then lied down on his own bed and made a huge mistake by sleeping on his back. Louie’s bed sheets suddenly felt warm and wet before the blackness finally took over. 20 minutes later, his eyes ceased to open again.</p><p>40 more minutes flew by as the two older ducklings headed upstairs to check on their baby brother, savory snacks in their hands. Huey and Dewey were chatting excitedly amongst themselves about how much they enjoyed Big Rock Candy Mountain—until the oldest brought up an important point.</p><p>“Did Louie seem a little off to you today?” Huey asked his immediate little brother concerningly. Dewey shrugged, disregarding Huey’s words.</p><p>“I dunno. Probably ‘cause Mom grounded him three days back. Still, he shouldn’t complain about it now. I mean, she <em> just </em> lifted his grounding!” the blue triplet replied exasperatedly, rolling his eyes.</p><p>“Yeah, but—I mean, c’mon. Well....he did say that he hurt his back earlier by accident,” Huey argued, eyes raised.</p><p>“There you go!” Dewey exclaimed knowingly.</p><p>The red triplet shook his head and sighed. “Yeah whatever.”</p><p>As they entered their room, both brothers noticed Louie’s sleeping form on the bottom bunk.</p><p>“I’ll wake him up,” Dewey suggested softly before approaching his sleeping baby brother. “Hey Lou! Guess what? We brought you some snacks!” He smiled brightly, nudging Louie’s side as he spoke. Dewey’s smile faltered after ten more seconds.</p><p>“C’mon, dude! Wake up! They’re already getting cold!” the middle triplet continued to fuss. After 30 seconds, he groaned before spotting something underneath Louie’s back. It was mostly hidden, but Dewey became suspicious once he saw that it was <em> red </em> in color. <b> <em>What the</em></b><em>—? </em></p><p>Frowning again, he turned Louie over until the youngest triplet was resting on his side. Finally, the blue triplet gasped in horror, scanning over the bed sheets that were stained dark red. And worse, Dewey also noticed his little brother’s back wound was ripped open.</p><p>Breathing shakily as his lips quivered uncontrollably, the blue-clad sibling turned around in order to tell his older brother what happened.</p><p>“HUEY!” he screamed, eyes watering. Yelping, the said triplet ran over to where Dewey was standing and gasped loudly in shock, immediately grabbing his phone.</p><p>“C-Call 911!” Dewey stammered fearfully before tears began cascading down his face like a waterfall. He shuddered while Huey made the call before grabbing his hand firmly, struggling to maintain a brave façade.</p><p>The ambulance finally arrived and declared Louie’s time of death, which was around an hour ago, when the youngest triplet decided to take a nap. Dewey stared at the paramedics, his red-rimmed eyes filled with hope that maybe they were wrong. However, after a few seconds, the middle triplet’s face crumpled as soft sobs and hiccups escaped from his mouth.</p><p>“No no no no! <em> Please </em> come back! <em> Please </em> bring him back! Please—<em>no</em>!” he sobbed out while Huey succumbed to his own tears, refusing to let go of Dewey’s hands as they both cried uncontrollably.</p><p>“Sleep tight, little bro. We love you,” the Junior Woodchuck whispered tearfully as he caressed Louie’s hair one last time before the paramedics carried his dead body away. Both brothers shook violently as they held onto each other tightly.</p><p>Behind them, Webby examined the damage and quietly burst into tears herself, letting her friends know that she’d inform her grandmother so that they could grieve together in peace.</p><hr/><p>Meanwhile, in the Sunchaser (or Cloudslayer if you will), Mrs. Beakley was answering Webby’s phone call. Scrooge decided to eavesdrop on their conversation upfront. </p><p>“Dear, slow down! I <em> can’t </em> hear you! Now tell me again....” Mrs. Beakley continued to listen to her granddaughter speak despite the slightly incoherent sobs. At the end, the housekeeper muffled her loud gasp with one hand. </p><p>This made Scrooge extra weary and anxious as he received his own call from the paramedics, informing him of the situation, including Louie’s time of death and autopsy report.</p><p>“According to our examination, your nephew was wearing a thick belt around his waist that managed to seal his wound for a while. We still don’t know how he got stabbed, but the police are on it right now. We are <em> so sorry</em>, Mr. McDuck. We tried everything we could to save him, but it was too late.” </p><p>That’s when Scrooge dropped his phone, trembling violently. His nephew—his little boy was <em> gone</em>. Louie was <em> dead </em> and the old man’s heart shattered into trillions of pieces. Tears leaked out of his reddened eyes as they created small puddles on the floor. Bentina placed a hand on her boss’ shoulder, hoping to provide some comfort, though she was near tears herself.</p><p>Only Della had yet to receive the horrible news, but for now, she was busy laughing at one of Launchpad’s jokes. Until she turned around and witnessed Scrooge crying into his palms. She gasped.</p><p>“Uncle Scrooge?” Della ran to her uncle and grabbed his arms, shaking him. “What’s <em> wrong</em>? What happened?” she asked frantically, trying not to freak out. Scrooge never cried unless something <em> really bad </em> happened.</p><p>“L-Lass!” he choked out, swollen red eyes fixated on his niece’s worried expression. “I-It’s Louie! H-He’s—he’s....!” And then it dawned on her—Llewellyn Duck was D.E.A.D. Yep! Della did the only logical thing—she fainted.</p><p>After the plane landed near the McDuck Manor entrance, Scrooge and Della rushed upstairs only to find the two remaining boys clinging onto each other, sobbing quietly before their bloodshot eyes met theirs.</p><p>“Uncle Scrooge!” Huey wept, arms wrapped around his little brother’s trembling body. The older boy sniffled loudly, tasting the salty tears inside his mouth. On the other hand, Dewey was sobbing too hard to form coherent sentences let alone words, so he gave up and didn’t say anything.</p><p>“Oh child!” Scrooge spoke softly with a weepy expression before scrambling towards his distraught nephews and brought them in a consoling hug, kissing the top of their heads while they still cried. Della was frozen in place, unable to offer comfort to her own children.</p><p>And speaking of children, it hit her all at once—Louie, her baby boy—was <em> dead</em>. She’d never get to hear him laugh again, pull pranks on his brothers, go on adventures with him, argue about the stupidest things and then apologize profoundly for it, form a special mother-son bond....she was <em>too late</em>.</p><p>Guilt and self-loathing suddenly punched her in the gut as she ran away from her uncle and two sons, unable to face them. Once she reached her room, Della closed the door and fell on her knees, bawling her eyes out to the point where she was hysterical.</p><p>“No no <em> no</em>! My <em> baby</em>—! I’m so sorry, Louie! I-I’m <em> so sorry</em>, baby! P-Please forgive me! I’m so sorry—!” she wailed. Over the next few minutes, Della swore if Louie were still alive, she’d be a better mom. She’d try to understand her son instead of assuming the worst from him. But that would never happen.</p><p>An hour later, she felt sleepy and yawned, rubbing her puffy red eyes before locating the rest of her family. Her two sons were already asleep, Huey’s head on Scrooge’s chest while Dewey’s head was on his brother’s stomach. </p><p><em> And to think that today was supposed to be </em> <b> <em>fun and relaxing</em></b><em>. </em> The woman thought bitterly to herself before tears sprung in her eyes again.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****14 MARCH****</b>
</p><p>Normally, Pie Day was Huey’s favorite holiday, but all holidays were useless now that his baby brother was gone forever. Both brothers were diagnosed with PTSD from experiencing Louie’s death firsthand, so they begged their uncle to relocate to another bedroom.</p><p>Inside their brand new room, there was one single full-sized bed. Due to recent circumstances, Huey and Dewey ultimately decided to share this bed in fear of losing each other too.</p><p>Soon, the clock read 8:05pm. Dewey was snoring softly on the left side of the bed, while Huey sat beside him on the right, still wide awake. Apparently, the middle triplet had cried himself to sleep for the umpteenth time this week, so the older triplet offered to console him until then.</p><p>In an instant, Scrooge entered the room with more boxes containing the boys’ belongings.</p><p>“Sorry to barge in, but um—the rest of your clothes have been packed, and the other supplies will be here soon. Hopefully by tomorrow, you’ll have everything you need,” he told them.</p><p>But what they <em> really </em> needed was their little brother safe and sound, tucked in between them. Tragically, that wasn’t possible—not anymore. Regardless, the red triplet nodded and pressed his lips together.</p><p>“So um—how’s Mom doing?” Even though Della was currently avoiding her sons out of extreme guilt and remorse, Huey was very worried about her. Scrooge sighed deeply.</p><p>“As well as the rest of us, I believe,” he answered with extra despondence, pulling up a chair a few inches across from where his nephew was sitting. “What about you two?” He then gestured to Dewey’s sleeping form.</p><p>“He hasn’t eaten properly since the incident. Neither have I,” the Junior Woodchuck confessed while the saltwater began leaking from his eyes again. “I just—don’t understand how this even <em> happened</em>. I mean, when we left, he was fine. Sure, Louie was pissed off with Mom, but physically, he was <em> fine</em>! A-And then when he came to save us, he didn’t seem like he was hurt, so then h-how did he get <em> stabbed </em> before—?”</p><p>Huey cut himself off with a harsh sob. The billionaire’s heart broke for his grief-stricken child. No one should’ve gone through this at such a young age. It was just too much for two 11-year-olds to handle, considering that it was someone <em> younger </em> rather than older.</p><p>“Oh lass,” Scrooge exhaled sadly, reaching out to stroke Huey’s tousled hair. Right now, some would’ve easily mistaken him for Dewey. The red triplet soon gave in and wept bitterly.</p><p>“H-He’s not <em> here</em>!” he sobbed. “I-I can’t—! I just want this pain to <em> stop</em>! I want it to stop—b-but it hurts too much! W-When will it stop hurting?” the Junior Woodchuck hiccuped through his sobs.</p><p>“It <em> will</em>, lad. One day, it will stop—but not now. Not for several years. Sadly, the pain doesn’t go away <em> completely</em>,” he admitted. Huey cried harder at that statement. Wincing, Scrooge decided to add more context.</p><p>“However, that doesn’t mean you won’t remember the good times you’ve had with him. As cheesy as it sounds, and you know how much I despise clichés—Louie never really left you, as long as your memories of him are still intact.” The billionaire flashed him a painful smile, hoping it would ease Huey’s pain and suffering.</p><p>Luckily, the boy stopped sobbing, though his tears remained active for a while as he sniffled.</p><p>“Th-Thanks, Uncle Scrooge. Um—c-can I have a hug?” The old man nodded, gulping loudly as he teared up before climbing onto the boys’ bed.</p><p>“C’mere,” the older duck whispered tenderly, opening his long arms so that Huey could hop in easily. As they shared a heartfelt embrace, Della stood against the doorway and gazed sadly at both her sons.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****18 MARCH****</b>
</p><p>After Lunaris was finally defeated by Earth’s greatest army (led by Scrooge McDuck himself), Donald returned only to discover the death of his youngest nephew.</p><p>“W-What happened?” the sailor demanded, his voice wavering with fear, praying that it wouldn’t transform into grief—but unfortunately, it did.</p><p>“No!” he breathed tearfully. “L-Louie can’t be gone! He’s not d-dead!”</p><p>“He is, Donnie. I’m <em> so sorry</em>!” Della wept, casting her scarlet-rimmed eyes on his own despite their joyful reunion two hours earlier. Next thing they knew, both siblings embraced each other and sobbed hopelessly over their deceased green-clad family member.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****23 MARCH****</b>
</p><p>Louie’s funeral was held outside the chapel. You see, one would expect dark grey clouds looming over tall buildings before it started pouring, but today was ironically a bright and sunny day.</p><p>“Huh. Louie would’ve probably made a remark about the weather by now,” Webby pointed out before imitating the green-clad duckling. You have to give her credit, though. She did manage to make Huey and Dewey laugh, even though it only lasted for a few seconds.</p><p>“Yeah. You’re right, Webs. Louie wouldn’t want us to be gloomy and miserable forever,” Dewey responded before his eyes welled up—<em>again</em>. Before he knew it, there was saltwater all over his face.</p><p>“I’m sorry! I don’t know why I’m—I mean, I know I shouldn’t be, but....” he lamented.</p><p>“Dew, it’s been 14 days. Of <em>course</em> you’re not gonna get over this for a long time,” Webby reminded him.</p><p>“B-But I just—God! I just really miss him, you know?” Huey agreed with his brother’s statement as they shared another tearful embrace.</p><p>“Dr. Gearloose said his Alternate Timeline Communicator is still active. You know—in case you guys wanna—I guess—<em>talk </em> to him?” the oldest triplet suggested, shrugging. Dewey’s mouth was wide open, blinking away more tears from his red eyes.</p><p>“Y-You <em> saw </em> him? L-Louie, I mean?” the blue triplet stammered.</p><p>“No, not yet,” the Junior Woodchuck admitted sadly. “But I <em> want </em> to, so....d’you wanna come with me?” he added before grabbing his younger brother’s hands.</p><p>“Y-Yeah. Of <em> course</em>! I-I’ll be there!” the aspiring adventurer choked out, this time shedding joyous tears rather than grief-filled ones.</p><p>“Cool! But uh—let’s do it tomorrow. Our family needs us right now,” the red triplet reminded him.</p><p>“Sure, yeah. We’ll go there tomorrow,” Dewey repeated.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****24 MARCH****</b>
</p><p>“Whoa! Slow down, kiddos! I only have <em> one hand </em> available right now, as you can tell,” Gyro told them 20 hours later, chuckling awkwardly. “Just uh—don’t get tears all over my gadgets, ‘kay?” he added sternly.</p><p>“Yes, Dr. Gearloose,” Huey and Dewey replied simultaneously.</p><p>“Besides, I don’t do so well with um—<em>emotional </em> stuff,” the chief scientist admitted, rubbing his neck in earnest.</p><p>“We know.”</p><p>“Okay! Testing testing testing! One—two—three—<em>ah ha</em>! Got it!” It was then that Huey and Dewey saw a replica of their old bedroom. There stood alternate versions of themselves, laughing and celebrating.</p><p>“Oh yeah, baby! It’s been <em>six days</em> since we beat Lunaris’s fucking ass — ” Alternate Dewey winced once Alternate Donald suddenly interrupted him.</p><p>“<em>Language</em>, Dewford!” he bellowed from across the hall.</p><p>“Urgh! <em> Yes</em>, Uncle Donald!” Alternate Dewford groaned while rolling his eyes.</p><p>“Oh c’mon, Donnie! Cut him some slack! The kid’s almost twelve now!” Dewey heard his alternate mother vouch for him. <b> <em>Aw</em></b><em>! Alternate Mom’s taking </em> <b> <em>my side</em></b><em>! That’s </em> <b> <em>so awesome</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>“Ah! Seriously, Dew? Did you steal my Junior Woodchuck Guidebook <em> again</em>?!” Alternate Huey almost yelled at his blue-clad sibling while glaring daggers at him, arms crossed.</p><p>“<em>What</em>? No....!” Alternate Dewey responded in a high-pitched voice, indicating that he was obviously lying.</p><p>“Hey guys! Guess what? I might’ve 'accidentally' found fifty bucks underneath my bed!” a <em> very </em> familiar voice boasted from across the room. Alternate Hubert rolled his eyes and huffed.</p><p>“Define ‘accidentally’—<em>Llewellyn</em>,” he said in a low voice. Man! Huey sounded scary whenever he spoke like that, no matter what alternate timeline or universe he was in! But wait! Did Alternate Huey just say <em> Llewellyn</em>??</p><p>“Oh don’t give me that 'Llewellyn' crap! It doesn’t scare me, Hubert!” Alternate Louie retaliated, pouting.</p><p>“Hey guys! Check this out! It’s us!” Alternate Dewey exclaimed in awe. His brothers sat beside him on his bunk bed. </p><p>“Whoa! Is it just me, or do I look much more handsome in that outfit?” Hold on! Was Alternate Dewford actually flirting with himself? Then again, haven’t we all?</p><p>“Dude! Stop flirting with yourself!” Alternate Huey scolded him.</p><p>“It’s not flirting! It’s just—well—getting to <em> know </em>yourself,” Alternate Dewey argued, winking at his other self. </p><p>However, Alternate Louie suspected that something was up with his brothers’ alternate selves, since they were currently speechless. He then took a closer look at their facial expressions and gasped. <em> Wait—why are their </em> <em><strong>eyes</strong> so red</em><em>?? Have they been </em> <b> <em>crying</em> </b> <em> or something?? </em> He pondered worriedly.</p><p>“Huey? Dewey? Um—a-are you guys okay?” the alternate trickster asked his brothers from the main timeline. <strong>{Again, when I say 'main', it refers to everyone who’s involved in the events of <em> this </em> particular chapter}.</strong></p><p>“Yeah! W-We um—we just wanted to say hi,” Huey lied while sobbing quietly. Dewey didn’t even hesitate to hide his own weeping.</p><p>“W-We miss you <em> so </em>much!” the blue-clad sibling wailed.</p><p>“Okay....? Um—this is awkward, but uh—w-what d’you mean by that?” Alternate Louie asked, voice laced with confusion yet genuine concern. Meanwhile, Alternate Huey/Dewey were temporarily cast aside since their main selves wanted to keep this a secret just between the three of them.</p><p>So Huey and Dewey from the main timeline explained almost everything that happened so far, beginning with Glomgold’s ultimate defeat near Scrooge’s money bin. It was hard for Alternate Louie to understand what they said due to their partially incoherent sobbing. </p><p>After they finished their story, however, the grieving duo finally stopped crying while Alternate Louie began doing it himself.</p><p>“I’m <em> so </em>sorry! I-I never meant to leave y-you guys!” he bawled. Great! Now he made his alternate brothers cry again! Thanks a lot, Alternate Llewellyn!</p><p>“It’s okay, Lou. We’re gonna be okay,” Huey choked out.</p><p>“Yeah. It’s not your fault,” Dewey added in agreement.</p><p>“And it’s not anyone else’s fault. W-We’re the ones who—<em>I’m </em> the one who failed to protect you from those fucking—!” Huey couldn’t finish his own sentence as his sobs grew louder. “God! I-I just want you <em> back</em>!” <em> I want my </em> <b> <em>baby brother </em> </b> <em> back! </em></p><p>Dewey couldn’t take it anymore as he hugged Huey from the side and shushed him gently.</p><p>“At least we got to say goodbye to you. Uncle Scrooge never got that chance when Grandma—you know,” the blue triplet revealed, causing his alternate little brother to gasp loudly.</p><p>And so the three of them continued to talk until Gyro mentioned that it was time for Huey and Dewey to go back home. However, the boys had a final message for Alternate Louie.</p><p>“Before we go, we just wanted to say that um—w-we love you! And we miss you <em> every </em> single day. And uh—g-good luck with whatever you decide to do with your life, and all that other cliché stuff,” Huey told him, flashing him a tearful smile.</p><p>Dewey added hoarsely, “In other words, we miss you annoying us every few seconds, so uh—yeah. That’s pretty much it.” </p><p>Alternate Louie laughed half-heartedly through the tears. “Th-Thanks for that.”</p><p>“You’re welcome. B-Bye!” Both brothers waved goodbye before the monitor switched off. </p><p>The middle triplet resumed sobbing for the millionth time as Huey consoled him, reminding his little brother that everything would be okay with time.</p><p>“Y-You sure about that? You’re not just messing with me, a-are you?” he asked his older brother skeptically.</p><p>“No, of course not! You know I love you too, right?” Huey replied, arms wrapped around his brother’s middle.</p><p>“Shut up!” Dewey retorted playfully, shoving him. In return, the red triplet grinned before kissing his forehead lightly.</p><hr/><p>Four hours later, they managed to corner Della and confront her about avoiding them over the past 15 days. At first, she retaliated, claiming that Louie’s death was <em> her </em> fault. That made Dewey very angry as he shouted at her for saying such a thing.</p><p>Fortunately, Huey calmed him down long enough to explain how they never blamed her in the first place, having blamed themselves instead. In the end, the trio wound up soaked in each others’ tears.</p><p>“I-I’m so sorry, boys! I-I should’ve told you two from the beginning, but I was <em> so </em>scared that you’d hate me forever a-and — ” she blubbered, tears streaming from her swollen eyes. Both her sons looked pretty much the same.</p><p>“We <em> don’t</em>, Mom. We could never hate you. Nobody hates you, trust us. Besides, we’ve lost too many people to waste time by hating each other,” Huey declared.</p><p>“That goes for all of us, lass,” Scrooge pointed out before joining their group hug.</p><p>“Me too,” Donald added, followed by Webby and Mrs. Beakley’s reassurances.</p><p>“Count me in,” Launchpad concluded with confidence.</p><p>“Y-You guys!” Della sobbed out, laughing through the tears before staring at the ceiling. “See, Louie? You did it! We'll be okay.”</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****FLASHFORWARD (16 AUGUST)****</b>
</p><p>“So! I heard that Gyro Gearloose built an alternate timeline communicator six months ago! Is that right? Well—wait ‘til I get my hands on it!” Mark Beaks blurted out before laughing maniacally.</p><p>“Go fuck yourself, Beaks!” Fenton growled while Huey had to physically restrain him.</p><p>“You do realize that my mom is Emma Glamour, correct?” he gloated. “Did you <em> really </em> think I was stupid enough not to know that your best friend’s precious baby brother literally snuck into her party tonight? Besides, I wouldn’t want anything <em>bad</em> happening to him—unless you two don’t keep your mouths shut.” </p><p>The Junior Woodchuck gasped in shock before his face twisted in rage, stomping towards his sworn enemy before grabbing Mark’s shirt and twisting it threateningly.</p><p>“If you ever threaten my little brother again, let alone go <em> near </em>him, I will <em> fucking kill you</em>,” he snarled.</p><p>“Urgh! Your breath smells like peppermints!” Beaks scoffed in disgust as the red triplet let him go.</p><p>“That’s because he has good hygiene—unlike <em> some </em> people!” Fenton spat in Huey’s defense, earning a grateful smile from his best friend.</p><p>“Whatever! You two don’t scare me anyway! I’m <em> Mark fucking Beaks</em>!” the parrot squawked before walking away.</p><p>“Ignore him. He’s not worth it,” Fenton advised the 12-year-old. Huey nodded defeatedly.</p><p>“I know,” he sighed. “We should probably head back to the mansion. This book party's been going on for almost six hours, so Mom and Uncle Scrooge must be exhausted.”</p><p>“And high,” the superhero reminded him, referring to the marijuana brownies they accidentally ate 20 minutes ago.</p><p>“And drunk—ish.” Okay, so <em> maybe </em> Scrooge and Della also had a bottle of vodka to celebrate....whatever they were celebrating, causing both BFFs to laugh wholeheartedly, embracing each other tightly.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For this chapter, most of the story takes place during and right after "GlomTales!". However, don't be alarmed by the different timelines involved.</p><p>You're probably wondering what the other timeline is, and it's actually related to a future chapter in this story.</p><p>Also, feel free to re-read the previous seven chapters whenever you get a chance! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. *The Richest Duck In The World! (S2E23)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After Bombie severely wounds them with his foot, both Scrooge and Louie are rushed to the hospital while their family and friends pray for them to recover. Meanwhile, Huey and Dewey feel extra nostalgic while other conversations lead to more realizations.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****1 MAY (SEVERAL DECADES AGO)****</b>
</p><p>A long time ago, halfway across the world, 9-year-old Scrooge McDuck was broke, hungry, and desperate for more customers. He was a shoe-shiner for Bert’s Boots, but nobody gave the young lad a single ounce of respect, let alone money. </p><p>His father: Fergus McDuck, was currently jobless and somewhat demoralized, once believing that he could successfully provide enough for his family. In other words, everyday was a struggle.</p><p>“I dunno, Fergus. Frankly, I’m worried about Scroogie. He’s been outside for seven hours straight! The lass hasn’t eaten or slept properly. He should come back inside and rest,” Downy informed her husband, but he paid no heed to her words.</p><p>Instead, he remarked, “Oh come on, Downy! He’s fine! Scrooge is nine years old now. He needs to learn to fend for himself, and this is the way to do it!” The woman huffed, glaring daggers at him.</p><p>“Fergus! Scrooge is a <em> child </em> — ” she insisted, but Fergus cut her off.</p><p>“A child who needs to learn the value of <em> hard work</em>!” he quacked, pointing directly at their son. Downy shook her head, tears gathering in her eyes.</p><p>“And what about his safety? Hmm? What if something bad happens to him? Can you forgive yourself for that, Fergus?” Her voice wavered as if she were about to cry, but Downy held back in fear of embarrassing herself. “We can always earn more money, but we can’t gain another <em> son</em>!”</p><p>And all of a sudden, Fergus had an idea—a brilliant idea. Okay....a sort-of-brilliant idea, but an idea nonetheless!</p><p>“Then—how ‘bout we get pregnant?” he suggested, smiling hopefully. His wife stared at him with a bemused expression.</p><p>“Again? But you only said we can’t afford to have another child! And what about school expenses — ” she objected, only have Fergus roll his eyes in disbelief.</p><p>“Oi! Don’t get sassy with me, dear! Besides, when we first got married, you and I agreed we’d have one of each, remember? A boy <em> and </em> a girl?” He tried jogging her memory by moving both his pointy fingers in circles. Again, Downy glowered at him.</p><p>“And what exactly are you proposing?” she interrogated. Fergus chuckled nervously.</p><p>“What I’m saying is—let’s try again,” he elaborated, silently pleading with her. Downy sighed defeatedly.</p><p>“Oh alright! But when? Dinner will be ready soon, and it’s getting cold.” And that’s when Downy spotted Fergus’s mischievous smile.</p><p>“Well....it won’t get dark for another three hours, and Scrooge won’t be home until then, so....” The man immediately gazed down at his wife’s feet before looking back up at her, eyebrows raised.</p><p>At first, Downy had absolutely no idea what her husband was talking about, and then he gave her that smug look on his face! That’s when it all clicked.</p><p>“Are you suggesting....?” she asked him knowingly. Fergus instantly nodded his head and rolled his eyes in exasperation.</p><p>“Please, Downy! Don’t you want to have grandchildren someday? And perhaps even great-grandchildren? Scrooge is probably never going to get married or have children of his own, so....this is our only chance. And don’t worry—you’ll thank me later,” he predicted, grinning like an idiot.</p><p>She scoffed, though it sounded more like an amused laugh. “You’re unbelievable, Fergus!”</p><p>He smiled back, still wearing that smug look. “Isn’t that why you married me, dear?” Fergus winked, which made Downy laugh.</p><p>“Fine, you win....<em>this </em>time,” she replied as he gazed at his wife seductively, both walking towards one of the inner rooms....with a bed.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****10 MARCH (15 DAYS AGO)****</b>
</p><p>As you all know, Scrooge had recently won the bet against Flintheart Glomgold, though Louie signed a contract stating that he was now the official owner of McDuck Enterprises. After Glomgold’s primary associates decided to quit, Louie was suddenly chased by Bombie (a zombie-like monster), who’s been after Scrooge for years, despising those who were rich and spoiled.</p><p>That’s when the 11-year-old finally discovered the true meaning of hard work as well as humility. While recreating the moment when Scrooge McDuck was still a shoe shiner, Louie’s plan was suddenly ripped into shreds. Instead of accepting he could change and be a better person, Bombie became furious and decided to step on his uncle—<em>literally</em>.</p><p>“NOOOOOO!” Louie roared, tears of grief and rage shining in his eyes. He then breathed heavily and cursed. “You’re going to <em> pay </em> for that, Bombie!” he spat. “I’ll make sure you die a slow and painful death!”</p><p>Bombie scoffed at his threatening comment and turned away from the young trickster, lost in thought. Then....WHAM!! The green-clad triplet was instantly flattened like a pancake.</p><p>However, a poisonous dart was injected near his neck as he gradually lost consciousness. But the question was—who shot him?</p><hr/><p>Meanwhile in McDuck Manor, Della had just received an important message from Penumbra, claiming that Lunaris was planning to invade Earth along with the other Moonlanders. Her sons and Webby gasped alongside her, wondering what the next course of action would be.</p><p>“The world is gonna end?? So Launchpad was <em> right </em> all along?!” Dewey blurted out, panicking.</p><p>“Okay....we need to stay calm. I’m sure it’s fine. We’ll think of something!” Della wasn’t sure who she was convincing more—them or herself.</p><p>“Mom’s right. We need to distract ourselves,” Huey advised. Dewey and Webby blinked.</p><p>“By doing what? Watching TV?” the middle triplet suggested with a hint of sarcasm. His older brother shrugged. </p><p>“Why not? Besides, we both have access to our own Netflix accounts, and frankly....I need to catch up on my shows.” And by shows, the Junior Woodchuck meant a bunch of telenovelas and romantic comedies that Officer Cabrera had somehow managed to get him hooked onto.</p><p>Aside from the unexpected twists and turns, Huey enjoyed them anyway despite his realistic, logical nature. Or perhaps it was more enduring due to the intimacy. Yes, sometimes we forget that the triplets were almost 12 years old, so they were beginning to have—<em>hormones</em>.</p><p>Anyway, moving on. Della had meant to call Louie earlier and genuinely apologize for the whole time tub fiasco. However, he didn’t answer her call.</p><p>“Huh. That’s weird. He’s not picking up. Okay! Well then, I’ll call Uncle Scrooge and let him know what’s up.” Unfortunately, the billionaire didn’t respond either. </p><p>Suddenly, Della received a phone call, but not from the person she was expecting. “Hello?” she asked the unknown caller.</p><p>“Hi. I’m calling from Duckburg University’s teaching hospital. You’ve been listed at one of Llewellyn Duck’s emergency contacts. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get a hold of his primary caregiver: Donald Duck. Also, his other legal guardian: Scrooge McDuck, is also not answering any of our calls. So in other words, you’re the next person on the list. I <em> am </em> speaking to Della Duck, correct? Or is this the wrong number?”</p><p>Della immediately shook her head and replied, “No! No, this is Della Duck. Y-You’ve called the right person.” The nurse didn’t reply right away and so she continued. “Um—you’ve mentioned my son’s name? I-Is Louie okay? Did something happen to him?” The pilot was slowly panicking, hoping the situation wasn’t severe or fatal.</p><p>The receptionist sighed before answering. “Ms. Duck, I regret to inform you that your son’s condition is very severe. He has multiple bone fractures all over his body, though luckily his spine was spared. Otherwise, he would’ve been permanently paralyzed. However....he fell into a coma, and we’re not sure when or if he’ll ever wake up. The nurses have recently put him on life support.”</p><p>“L-Life support??” Della stammered, tears quickly filling her eyes.</p><p>“Unfortunately, yes. But I have some more news as well. There’s um....there’s a 50% chance that your son will survive within the next eight days. If he does, then he’ll certainly need several months of physical therapy in order to make a full recovery. He’ll also be in a wheelchair for several weeks once he’s dismissed from the hospital.”</p><p>The pilot almost dropped her phone as she continued to listen, unaware that her two older sons and Webby were eavesdropping on their conversation.</p><p>“Life support. Louie’s on <em> life </em>support,” Huey breathed as he clutched his own chest, about to suffer from an anxiety attack.</p><p>“S-So there’s a 50% chance that he <em> won’t </em> make it?!” Dewey whimpered, preventing himself from breaking down in tears. Webby instantly gripped his arm and forced him to look at her.</p><p>“We don’t know that yet. Louie’s tough, so he <em>will </em> make it,” she declared firmly.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****13 MARCH (12 DAYS AGO)****</b>
</p><p>“It’s been <em> three </em>days, and he still hasn’t woken up!” Huey complained, his eyes red from crying. </p><p>Apparently, Scrooge was also severely wounded by the sheer force of Bombie’s gigantic foot, though his condition was fatal, having died two days after intensive surgery. Della and the kids were informed soon afterwards. As a result, the four of them became a sobbing mess.</p><p>Right now marked 22 hours since Scrooge’s untimely death, though Della and the kids refused to leave Louie’s side.</p><p>“You better wake up soon, man. Otherwise, who else is gonna make fun of my Junior Woodchuck Guidebook?”</p><p>“And who else will use me to do your laundry?”</p><p>“And who will tell me whether or not I’m being a good mom?”</p><p>“And what about your best friend? Who else will remind me how awesome I am? Well, <em> besides </em> Huey and Dewey,” Webby chuckled tearfully. In fact, all four of them were crying softly for their remaining family member (aside from Donald, who was still M.I.A.), begging him to fight back.</p><p>“We love you, bro. Don’t worry. We’ll be back soon, but don’t you <em> dare </em> flatline!” Dewey warned him, wiping away the remaining tears from his swollen red eyes and wet cheeks. Huey planted a firm kiss on top of Louie’s hair before leaving the room. Della kissed her youngest son’s forehead and soon followed the children outside.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****18 MARCH (1 WEEK AGO)****</b>
</p><p>It was 90 minutes after the Moonlanders’ defeat. Donald and Della were busy chatting with another hospital receptionist about moving Louie to a larger room. Meanwhile, the two boys were sitting patiently in the waiting room nearby.</p><p>“You know, I think he’s going to pull through,” Huey said hopefully. Dewey nodded in agreement.</p><p>“Yeah. Louie’s too stubborn to die anyways. In fact, I bet he’s gonna say ‘Oh whoops! I almost died <em> again</em>! Now can we please move on?’ or something like that,” the blue triplet added jokingly.</p><p>“Probably after several weeks of vocal therapy,” the red triplet informed him, which made Dewey sigh exasperatedly.</p><p>“Okay, I don’t need facts right now! I need <em> results</em>!” he snapped, which made Huey flinch. Dewey instantly recoiled and whispered apologies.</p><p>“It’s okay. I know you’re scared, Dew. We all are,” Hubert reassured him by holding his hand.</p><p>50 minutes later, however....</p><p>“Hi! You must be Llewellyn’s father,” one of the male surgeons assumed while shaking Donald’s hand.</p><p>“Actually, there <em> is </em> no father. I’m their uncle as well as their legal guardian,” the sailor corrected him.</p><p>“And I’m Della Duck, Louie’s mother. I’m also Donald’s sister,” Della added, smiling weakly.</p><p>“Alright then. Well—I have some news,” the surgeon added, his tone grim. You know that awful ringing in your ears in movies/TV shows whenever the doctor is revealing terrible news? Everyone in the room (minus the doctors) was experiencing that right now.</p><p>“His death was a result of....” the surgeon continued, but none of them wanted to remember the details. It was too painful to begin with. Once the doctors repeated their apologies one more time, they left the waiting room. </p><p>Donald’s knees wobbled as he crouched down, holding one of the chairs as the saltwater ran down his face without stopping. He didn’t make a sound, though. On the other hand, Huey and Dewey were completely numb, frozen in place. A few tears escaped, but the triplets paid no heed to them.</p><p>Della, however, was <em> furious</em>. Furious at the doctors who failed to save her green-clad son. Furious at Scrooge for dying before Louie did. Just <em> furious </em> at the world for not sparing her youngest child. However, that fury didn’t last for more than 60 seconds as her reaction became exactly like Donald’s.</p><p>All four of them remained quiet in the limo while Launchpad continuously cast worried glances in their direction. Huey and Dewey’s tears had temporarily stopped, while Donald and Della continued producing them.</p><p>At home, Mrs. Beakley and Webby were anxiously waiting for the news regarding Louie’s fate. Once they spotted the quartet’s forlorn expressions, they instantly knew what had happened.</p><p>“Oh no!” Bentina whispered in shock, muffling her gasp. Webby proceeded to sob her heart out. <em> I can’t believe my </em> <em>best friend</em> <em> is </em> <b> <em>gone</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>Upstairs, Huey and Dewey sat on Louie’s empty bed, still numb from the unbearable pain. Then suddenly, Fenton called Huey’s phone. The latter answered, slowly explaining what happened.</p><p>“I uh—I feel sick,” Huey choked out. “I-I need to um....I need to use the restroom. Sorry, Fenton. I-I just need a minute. Bye.” </p><p>After setting the phone down, the red triplet ran inside the nearest bathroom and locked it, vomiting into the trashcan adjacent to the toilet. He then burst into hysterical sobs, folding his fingers together and silently praying for his baby brother to come back.</p><p>Deep down, Dewey felt the same way too while clutching Louie’s pillow, which was warm and soft. After 30 minutes, it was soaked with saltwater. Despite his grief, the blue triplet suddenly wondered if his little brother resembled their biological father.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****25 MARCH (PRESENT)****</b>
</p><p>“Alright. Thank you, Father,” Della bid the priest goodbye before informing Donald that Scrooge and Louie’s funeral ceremony had been officially dismantled.</p><p>“So—the chapel is closing down for good?” the sailor questioned his sister with wide eyes.</p><p>“Apparently so,” she sighed, averting her gaze while blinking away more tears, but of course Donald spotted them and raised his eyebrows.</p><p>“Della? Turn around,” he ordered as she obeyed. Once Della locked her gaze onto Donald’s, she immediately burst into tears, dabbing her bloodshot eyes with a small napkin.</p><p>“Oh sis,” the sailor whispered tearfully, gently grabbing her hands. “You don’t have to hide that you’re hurting anymore. You know that, right?”</p><p>“I-I know! I just—I don’t deserve it, Donnie. I don’t deserve <em> any </em> of this. The boys, this house, coming back to Earth! I—I don’t know what I’m doing! I dunno how to be a good parent. I’m so <em> stupid</em>—thinking I could do this!” Della wailed.</p><p>“Della—” Donald began, his tone unusually sweet yet full of sorrow. “You’re not a bad parent. You’re still learning. And of course you deserve the boys. They love you <em> so much</em>, and they were so happy meeting you for the first time. You fought for <em> eleven years</em> to come back to Earth—to your kids.”</p><p>“B-But I — ” she protested.</p><p>“It wasn’t your fault, sis. What Louie did was irresponsible, so obviously you needed to discipline him. You’re his <em>mother</em>, not his buddy. So please stop torturing yourself,” he pleaded, which made his sister cry harder.</p><p>“I-I miss him so much, Donnie!” Della sobbed. “M-My baby’s gone!” A lone tear fell from Donald’s eye, causing her to wince in regret. “B-But I know you miss him too.” </p><p>Donald shook his head. “Well I....but I’m just their uncle, n-not their — ” the sailor said doubtedly.</p><p>“<em>You’re </em> the one who raised them, provided for them, loved them more than <em> anything</em>. You were more of a father to them than their biological dad,” she told him while cleaning her nose with another napkin.</p><p>Donald’s whole body trembled, tears falling down his own cheeks. “Th-Thank you,” he said softly.</p><p>But wait! There’s more! All of a sudden—the doorbell rang and Donald opened it and gasped.</p><p>LOUIE??!!</p><p>“H-Hey guys! It’s been a while, huh?” he chuckled nervously. Shockingly, there were absolutely <em>no</em> signs of physical injuries. In fact, his entire body was functioning properly! Yeah uh....</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****26 DECEMBER (3 MONTHS AGO)****</b>
</p><p>“So....how come the writers decided to bring Diego’s long-lost triplet back to life?” Huey asked Mrs. Cabrera out of curiosity.</p><p>“Well—you know how telenovelas work, right? The unexpected almost always happens. So in other words, <em> that’s </em> what you expect,” she explained.</p><p>“Wow....” Honestly, Huey was at a loss for words. “I guess I really need to start recalibrating myself. As someone who doesn’t usually like the unexpected, I still got hooked onto these things!” he exclaimed, baffled.</p><p>Officer Cabrera giggled, placing both hands on the red triplet’s cheeks before gently pinching them. “Don’t worry, patito. You’ll get there. And you don’t have to change yourself because you like something that’s out of your comfort zone,” she reminded him, to which Huey nodded.</p><p>“I know. Thank you, Mrs. Cabrera,” he told her sweetly.</p><p>“You’re welcome, sweetie,” she replied before ruffling his hair.</p><p>“Well—” Huey added while checking his watch. “I better get back. Trust me, I’d love to stay here tonight, but instead, I have to listen to my brother’s ridiculous assumption that we have a long-lost quadruplet named <em> Phooey</em>.” He then rolled his eyes in exasperation, which made Fenton’s mom laugh.</p><p>“But—it’s not like people miraculously return from the dead....right?” Huey questioned. </p><p>Mrs. Cabrera shrugged. “You never know.”</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****25 MARCH (PRESENT)****</b>
</p><p>Louie opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off when his mom and uncle were hugging him to death (not <em> literally </em> though). </p><p>Donald, of course, was a weeping mess, blubbering about how much he missed him, and how on Earth did he survive. Della continued sobbing, apologizing over and over for being a horrible mom when in truth, she wasn’t, and Louie definitely told her that.</p><p>On the other hand, the green-clad duckling explained what really happened over the past 15 days. Apparently, he was randomly saved by an English-accented doppelgänger (both physically and vocally) from being squished by Bombie’s foot. The boy was travelling with his own great-uncle, who saved Scrooge without Louie’s knowledge.</p><p>Sadly, both of them had died within the next few days due to the severity of their injuries, but Scrooge and Louie would be forever grateful to them nonetheless. The next day, the billionaire and Louie were kidnapped by F.O.W.L. and remained in captivity over the next two weeks.</p><p>“So where is Uncle Scrooge? How come he’s not with you?” Della questioned her long-lost son. The young trickster grimaced.</p><p>“Well....” he began hesitantly. “F.O.W.L. sort of—beat the living crap out of him a few hours back, so he’s currently in the hospital recovering. But don’t worry! They said he’ll be fine within the next couple of days,” he spoke frantically, begging the twins not to freak out.</p><p>However, someone did freak out. Actually, two someones—and their names were Huey and Dewey.</p><p>“L-Louie?? I-Is that you?” Dewey asked his little brother, voice shaking uncontrollably.</p><p>“Yeah, it’s me. Hey guys. Sorry I’m late,” Louie told them sheepishly while waving his hand. Next thing he knew, the boy was surrounded by two pairs of slender arms, squeezing him tightly. </p><p>Both brothers blurted out how much they missed their baby brother and how much they loved him, warning Louie to never leave their side <em> ever again</em>. As much as the youngest savored this moment, Huey and Dewey’s words were sort of unintelligible due to their heavy sobbing.</p><p>“It’s okay, guys. I’m <em> okay</em>. Everything’s gonna be fine. And besides, Bombie’s dead. I shot him with a dart containing a lethal poison, so he’s gone for good,” Louie reassured them as the older triplets continued to cry uncontrollably. Their red eyes were fixated on their youngest sibling, suddenly laughing through the tears.</p><p>“So um—about Uncle Scrooge....” And that’s when the green-clad triplet began to repeat everything he told Donald and Della.</p><p>“Wait WHAT??!!” his older brothers yelled with bewildered expressions.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Woo hoo! Scrooge and Louie are ALIVE!! Yay!! :)</p><p>Although it says "Major Character Death" in the archive description, technically two characters did die in this chapter.</p><p>R.I.P. Both Scrooge McDuck &amp; Louie Duck's doppelgangers :(</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. *Moonvasion! (S2E24)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Before celebrating the Moonlanders' defeat, the rocket explodes, instantly killing four members of the McDuck family. Elsewhere, airports around the world are having trouble enlisting flights on time.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but now the 10th chapter is finally uploaded. Yay! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (15 APRIL)****</b>
</p><p>“It’s been four weeks, Mr. McDuck. We need to move your nephews’ belongings to another room — ” Mrs. Beakley tried telling him, but it was no use. Scrooge once again dismissed her advice.</p><p>“No! We don’t, Beakley! No one’s ready! I’m not ready! Donald and Della aren’t ready to—we <em> can’t</em>, Bentina. I-I just—you don’t understand,” Scrooge replied gravely.</p><p>Big mistake! Beakley was fuming, almost ready to strangle her boss at any given moment, but she held back in order for things to remain calm. The housekeeper couldn’t afford to create chaos when she didn’t want it to begin with.</p><p>“<em>I </em> don’t understand? Is that right, Mr. McDuck? I lost my daughter many years ago, and now my granddaughter, and you have the nerve to say that I <em> don’t </em> understand??!!” she screeched, causing Scrooge to yelp.</p><p>“Th-That’s not what I meant, Beakley,” he argued, his tone significantly more soft yet laced with fear.</p><p>“Then what <em> are </em> you saying?” the housekeeper demanded harshly, hands on her hips.</p><p>“I-I....” Scrooge sighed defeatedly. “I don’t know,” he admitted before more silence had passed between them.</p><p>Meanwhile, in Dr. Featherwing’s office, Donald and Della sat next to each other in comfortable armchairs, directly facing the woman. She adjusted her round, crimson-framed glasses while fiddling with her notebook and ballpoint pen.</p><p>“I see.” Featherwing then gestured to both her clients, palm facing upward. “Go on.”</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****4 WEEKS AGO (18 MARCH)****</b>
</p><p>It all happened so fast. One minute, Lunaris was about to win the battle against Earth, and the next, the McDuck family successfully defeated him outside of Earth’s atmosphere. </p><p>After returning to the ground, the adults managed to exit the pod on time. However, the vehicle suddenly exploded after two minutes, instantly killing the kids inside. That meant Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby were now dead forever.</p><p>“BOYS!!” Donald and Della screamed at the same time.</p><p>“WEBBIGAIL!!” Mrs. Beakley howled.</p><p>“NOOOOO!!” Scrooge yelled at the top of his lungs.</p><p>Fenton’s eyes widened in surprise. “Mamá, d’you hear screaming?”</p><p>“Yes. Pretty sure I heard it coming from over there.” Officer Cabrera pointed towards the pod that recently burst into flames. The superhero’s breath hitched all of a sudden.</p><p>“Wait a minute....” he trailed off as soon as he approached the ducks surrounding the pod’s remains. Mrs. Beakley wept loudly, hands covering her face. Scrooge’s hands were on Donald’s shoulders, both shedding silent tears for their loss. Della eventually broke down in endless sobs and hiccups.</p><p>Horror-struck, Fenton asked them what happened, only to find out that his best friend was among the casualties that occurred today.</p><p>“Oh my God!” he whispered in shock, hands clasping his mouth. <b> <em>No</em> </b> <em> no no no no! Oh God! </em> <b> <em>Please</em> </b> <em> not him! Huey </em> <b> <em>can’t</em> </b> <em> be gone! </em></p><p>“Step aside! We need to make room!” the paramedics ordered the crowd as they instantly grabbed four gurneys from the ambulance.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (15 APRIL)****</b>
</p><p>“Their feathers were completely singed....” Della paused and covered her mouth, stifling her sobs. “I-I should’ve let <em>them</em> exit first instead of....!” Now, she was fully sobbing, dabbing her red-rimmed eyes with both hands.</p><p>“I was their guardian, and I <em> failed</em>,” Donald confessed, his voice wobbling with bottled-up grief. The pilot gazed at her brother with a puzzled expression.</p><p>“W-What are you talking about, Donald? It wasn’t your fault! If anything, <em>I </em> was the pilot! I should’ve known better!” she exclaimed tearfully.</p><p>“But I swore to protect them from harm no matter what!” he argued, almost yelling. “I should’ve let them out first! <em>I </em> should’ve known that the pod was malfunctioning in the first place! So yeah, of course it was MY FAULT!!” he quacked as he stood up, panting heavily.</p><p>“My fault....it was all <em> my </em> fault....” Donald murmured sadly before he sat down again, cupping his mouth while tears streamed down his face.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****4 WEEKS AGO (18 MARCH)****</b>
</p><p>“W-We need help! Someone, p-please! Th-They need to get to a hospital!” Scrooge blubbered like a five-year-old. Usually, he was never this vulnerable in public, but he’d just lost his three great-nephews, so screw it! If he wanted to break down, then now was the time to do it. Maybe the paramedics would work faster this way.</p><p>“I’m sorry, sir—but it’s too late. They’re gone,” said the chief paramedic, who was wracked with guilt.</p><p>“N-No! Y-You’re <em> wrong</em>! You gave up too quickly!” the old man choked out between his sobs, eyes becoming red and puffy.</p><p>“Sir — ” the paramedic tried again, but Scrooge was too upset to listen to her, taking a deep breath.</p><p>“They’re <em> not dead</em>! Try harder!” he growled, tears refusing to stop.</p><p>“Please, there’s nothing we can do to save — ” she insisted again.</p><p>“You call yourself a medical professional?! You don’t seem like it, ‘cause you took the coward’s way out!” Scrooge snarled, jabbing the paramedic’s chest. “You want to know <em> why</em>?! Because you’re so FUCKING WEAK!!” he bellowed.</p><p>“Sir, you need to calm down — ” another paramedic warned him.</p><p>Scrooge then laughed humorlessly. “Oh no no no no. Nope! You don’t get to tell <em> me </em> how to react!” he snapped. Both paramedics were taken aback. “Now allow me to ask—have either of you lost a child?” the old man sneered.</p><p>Neither of them dared to answer, so he continued while using hand gestures. “No? Well how ‘bout <em> three</em>? Actually, wait! Four! Have either of you lost <em> four </em> kids on the same day??” Because how could Scrooge forget about Webbigail? She was practically his niece as well!</p><p>Yep! Nobody spoke. Dead silence. “I’m guessing that’s a <em>no</em> then?” he concluded, panting slightly. Scrooge then averted his gaze and stared at his grief-stricken niece, realizing that she had just lost all of her children.</p><p>“H-Huey! Dewey! Louie! N-No no, please! <em> Please </em> come back!” Della wept uncontrollably, tears gushing out of her bloodshot eyes like a waterfall. “My babies....!”</p><p>“No....my <em>boys</em>!” Donald wailed, hiccuping loudly. He soon embraced his sister as they both openly grieved for their loss.</p><p>Mrs. Beakley didn’t even bother to speak because she was sobbing too hard, trying to avoid staring at Webby’s burned clothes and singed hair. The housekeeper felt sick, nearly throwing up in her own mouth. A few feet away, Launchpad cried quietly in his hands, sobbing out Dewey's name. Mrs. Cabrera wrapped her arms around Fenton while he cried into her shoulder, uttering Huey’s name over and over again like a broken record. </p><p>On that day, the McDucks, Fenton, and Launchpad knew that nothing was ever going to be the same again, because their kids would never come back. They’d never smile again, flash them innocent looks, ask them for advice, hug them at random times, go on marvelous adventures together, and so forth. Overall, they would <em> never </em> be together again.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****27 DAYS AGO (19 MARCH)****</b>
</p><p>“Ow! Dude! Quit shoving me!”</p><p>“I’m not shoving you!”</p><p>“Yes, you are!”</p><p>“No, I’m not!”</p><p>“Guys! Stop fighting!”</p><p>Wait....what the hell was going on??!! More importantly....who was speaking??</p><p>“Huey! Dewey! Louie! Do me a favor and <em> shut up</em>!!” a familiar 12-year-old female voice hissed, which caused the boys to flinch.</p><p>“Oops! Sorry,” Huey replied quietly.</p><p>“My bad!” Dewey mouthed.</p><p>“We’ll be quiet,” Louie promised silently.</p><p>Okay, first of all....they SURVIVED??!! But how?? Well....let’s just say Gyro Gearloose’s clone machine might’ve accidentally duplicated the kids as well, and....their clones managed to save them from the pod on time. But sadly, <em> they </em> died instead. Now the original quartet was trapped inside a cargo plane travelling from Duckburg to Amadora (Lisbon District, Portugal).</p><p>The youngest triplet winced before exclaiming, “Oh boy! This is not good!”</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****26 DAYS AGO (20 MARCH)****</b>
</p><p>“Gostaríamos de reservar um quarto para duas noites, por favor,” Huey asked the receptionist politely at a nearby hotel. Luckily, it was cheap, hence Scrooge gave them emergency cash for these particular situations. </p><p>Dewey and Louie shot him incredulous looks. “Dude, when did you learn to speak Portuguese?” the middle triplet said curiously.</p><p>“One of my many Romance Language Badges,” the red triplet enunciated, smiling contentedly.</p><p>The green triplet rolled his eyes, arms crossed. “Show-off,” he muttered.</p><p>15 minutes later, the four of them received their room key and entered the elevator. Six floors up (Level 6), the kids entered Room 614.</p><p>“Well, here we are,” the eldest sighed. “One queen-sized bed, a sofa that can function as a bed, one bathroom with a shower....” But as Huey continued stating what was there, they all wondered how their family members would find them.</p><p>“Guys, it’s late, and we’re technically eight hours ahead of where Uncle Scrooge and the others are,” the red triplet informed the others five hours later.</p><p>Soon enough, Dewey turned on the TV and gasped in shock once he heard the tragic news that they were officially 'deceased'. In other words, their ‘corpses’ were already taken away by the paramedics.</p><p>“Wait....so basically, we were cloned by <em> another </em> one of Dr. Gearloose’s insane gadgets??” Louie blurted out with a totally confused expression.</p><p>“Yep!” the blue triplet stated as-a-matter-of-factly. He then crawled under the covers of the queen-sized bed, since Webby insisted she was fine sleeping on the couch, despite their initial protests. Huey and Louie were immediately on either side of him before the youngest finally switched off the lights.</p><p>“G’night, guys,” Louie said while yawning loudly.</p><p>“G’night. Don’t worry. We’ll figure out what to do tomorrow,” Huey reassured them before falling asleep.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****22 DAYS AGO (24 MARCH)****</b>
</p><p>“Pollito, it’s been six days, and you still haven’t eaten more than a few bites!” Officer Cabrera exclaimed worriedly. Her son refused to get out of bed ever since his best friend died (well—not really, but Fenton didn’t know that yet).</p><p>“Mamá—I told you, I’m not hungry,” he murmured depressingly.</p><p>“If Huey were here, what would he say?” she pointed out.</p><p>Fenton shook his head and abruptly stood up, facing his mom. “I don’t wanna talk about it,” he said tersely before averting his gaze.</p><p>“Mijo, I know this is hard — ”</p><p>“Actually, Mamá—<em>no</em>. You don’t.” His voice wavered as he spoke, throat almost clogged with tears. “You <em> don’t </em> know.”</p><p>Mrs. Cabrera immediately retracted, visibly hurt by this statement. “I-I don’t — ”</p><p>“Exactly! You don’t know what it’s like, because Huey wasn’t your best friend. He was <em> mine</em>! I knew him! You didn’t,” he snapped, pointing at himself and his mother while talking.</p><p>“Sure, you two sort of bonded over watching telenovelas and romantic comedies, but I actually got to know him. In fact, I was the one who specifically told you to send those DVDs over to his house because he loved them so much,” Fenton elaborated, giving his mom a pointed look.</p><p>“He loved to cook. He binge-watched stand-up routines. In fact, he claimed he wasn’t funny, but his impressions were <em> hilarious</em>, better than most entertainers. I’ve seen him imitate others perfectly behind their backs,” he added, chuckling slightly. Fenton then cleared his throat before continuing, reverting to his serious demeanor.</p><p>“The point is, I got to know him <em> so well</em>—that after everything happened, I just couldn’t handle it. I was a mess, Mamá, and I still am,” he concluded, voice shaking uncontrollably at this point. Finally, Fenton couldn’t hold it in anymore as tears leaked out of his eyes, making them slightly puffy and red.</p><p>“I-I just—I miss him so much! I want him <em> back</em>, Mamá! I-It’s not fair! He was barely twelve years old a-and....!” he blubbered through hiccuping sobs. “It’s gonna take a <em> lot </em>more than six days to get over it,” he admitted, sniffling softly.</p><p>Mrs. Cabrera brought Fenton in her arms and rubbed his back soothingly. “Shh....I know, pollito. But one day, it <em> will </em> get better,” she promised.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (15 APRIL)****</b>
</p><p>Donald and Della had just finished their latest therapy session with Dr. Featherwing. Four hours later, the McDuck trio were gathered around the dining table, mournfully celebrating the triplets’ 12th birthday.</p><p>“They would’ve been twelve by now,” Donald muttered sadly, holding Della’s hand. Both his uncle and sister nodded in agreement.</p><p>Scrooge then cleared his throat, trying his best not to start crying again as he stood up. “Anyway, I’d better get to it. I have a phone call waiting for me.” His nephew and niece nodded before retiring to their own rooms.</p><p>Meanwhile, in the lobby area....</p><p>“Wait—<em>what</em> now?? A-Are you sure?” the old man asked frantically.</p><p>“Yes, Mr. McDuck. Your nephews are definitely alive, and so is Ms. Vanderquack. Currently, we’re locating their whereabouts, since they’re not in the U.S. at the moment,” the detective responded.</p><p>Scrooge instantly dropped the phone and covered his mouth with both hands, muffling his sobs of relief before sprinting towards Della’s bedroom, startling her.</p><p>“Uncle Scrooge? W-What happened? Why are your eyes so red? Have you been crying?” The billionaire continued walking towards her and circled his arms around Della’s body.</p><p>“Oh Della! Something wonderful happened! Th-The boys—and Webbigail! They’re still <em>alive</em>! They’re not dead! Th-They managed to escape from the pod on time. Apparently, they were accidentally cloned right before we got out, and so their duplicates died instead!” he exclaimed joyfully while still bawling his eyes out.</p><p>I’m not gonna lie. The pilot was stunned. She then took a step back. <em> What the </em> <em>fuck</em><em>?! They were </em> <b> <em>alive</em> </b> <em> this </em> <em>whole time</em><em>?! </em> She thought angrily.</p><p>“Then let’s go find them,” Della replied with absolute determination. </p><p>“But first, we need to tell Donald and Beakley,” Scrooge reminded his niece.</p><p>“Agreed.”</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****20 DAYS AGO (26 MARCH)****</b>
</p><p>“So how the hell are we gonna contact Uncle Scrooge? I mean, Huey literally had to book four extra nights at that place!” Dewey exclaimed exasperatedly.</p><p>“Our phones no longer have service, remember? Besides, they all changed their numbers, and the whole world thinks we’re <em> dead</em>!” Webby replied, crossing her arms.</p><p>“Speaking of which, what’s taking him so long? Huey promised he’d finish buying our tickets over an hour ago!” the middle triplet complained, groaning loudly.</p><p>“Dew, he’s buying our tickets under four aliases. You can’t pull that off so easily, so cut him some slack, okay?” Louie told his brother sternly. And people called <em> him </em> the evil triplet??</p><p>In the meantime, Huey tried convincing a customer representative that he wanted to book a flight from Lisbon (Lisbon District, Portugal) to Duckburg (Calisota, California, U.S.). </p><p>“Infelizmente, não há voos de Lisboa para Duckburg,” the representative admitted regretfully, scratching the back of her neck.</p><p>Huey frowned, struggling not to lose his temper. “Porque não?” he demanded.</p><p>“Todos estes voos já foram reservados,” she explained.</p><p>Honestly, the red-clad duckling wanted to scream. Instead, he exclaimed angrily, “O que é aquilo? Sem <em>voos</em> indiretos?”</p><p>“Pedimos desculpa pelo inconveniente,” the representative apologized profoundly. Huey shook his head in disbelief. <b> <em>Unbelievable</em></b><em>! </em> While trying to convince her to search for flights to other cities within the Calisota region (Northern California), she admitted there were none.</p><p>So....California? Nope. West Coast? Nada! Western states? Nerp! The U.S. in general?? No! So then what?? Luckily, there was an indirect flight from Keflavík (Southern Peninsula, Iceland) to San Francisco (California, U.S.). However, Huey had to purchase a separate flight from Lisbon to Keflavík first.</p><p>Twenty more minutes passed before the oldest triplet exited the airport and found Webby and his siblings glaring at him impatiently. He then explained the entire situation as their expressions immediately softened.</p><p>“So—when’s our flight?” Webby asked.</p><p>“8:45am—tomorrow morning, since we still have to spend one more night at the hotel. Besides, they deliberately told me they wouldn’t give us a refund if we left early, so yeah.” Huey shrugged, finally accepting their current dilemma.</p><p>“Okay....then let’s eat! ‘Cause I’m starving!” Dewey said while his stomach growled.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (15 APRIL)****</b>
</p><p>“Actually, scratch that. The kids just entered the U.S. two hours ago, according to our most recent data,” the detective revealed sheepishly. Scrooge and Della groaned.</p><p>“Are you kidding me?! You should’ve told us that <em> two hours </em> ago!” Donald pointed out frustratedly.</p><p>“Oh oh oh! I see them! But how on Earth are we going to contact them if that cargo plane’s reception isn’t working?!” Scrooge suddenly asked.</p><p>“We’ll just have to wait until they land,” Della sighed defeatedly while rubbing her forehead.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****2 WEEKS AGO (1 APRIL)****</b>
</p><p>“We’ve spent almost five days in Iceland! When are we gonna go back home?!” the youngest triplet whined.</p><p>“Relax, Lou. Iceland’s not so bad! Besides, I <em> love </em> Reykjavík!” Dewey beamed. Reykjavík was the capital of Iceland, located in the Capital Region.</p><p>“But it’s so freaking cold! Did you know that Iceland has four months of winter?” Louie exclaimed irritably.</p><p>“So what? We’ve survived colder temperatures!” Webby countered, frowning.</p><p>“Anyway, spring is supposed to start this month,” Huey informed the group while holding a detailed map in his hands—er—gloves. “Also, our flight was never cancelled! It was just delayed by a week! We’ll leave Iceland in less than two days.”</p><p>“Yeah, but did you have to book an early morning flight? 3:30am?? I mean, seriously?” Dewey fussed.</p><p>“Sorry, dude, but that was the only timing available. Otherwise, we’d have to spend more money to book a separate flight,” the eldest tried to explain.</p><p>“Okay, whatever. Let’s just eat and then hang out near the docks,” the aspiring adventurer suggested.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****11 DAYS AGO (4 APRIL)****</b>
</p><p>“WHAT??!! Again?! But we <em> just </em> landed!” Huey shrieked while Dewey held his older brother’s shoulders, restraining him from strangling the flight attendant. Daylight Savings Time was going to end in a couple of days, so they managed to lose 13 hours rather than 12.</p><p>“Sorry, sweetheart—but there’s nothing we can do right now. Either you’ll have to wait another six days, or you’ll need to book a separate flight from Auckland to San Francisco,” she explained, wincing guiltily.</p><p>The children sighed exasperatedly before leaving Auckland Airport and heading off towards downtown Auckland (Auckland Region, New Zealand). Once the four had arrived at a nearby hotel, they hung out in the lobby area, considering whether or not to check in.</p><p>“So what now? We stay here? I mean, <em> another </em> hotel? Honestly, I’m getting sick of ordering room service all the time! I miss our <em> home</em>! I miss Uncle Donald and Uncle Scrooge and Mom!” Louie blurted out, eyes welling with tears.</p><p>“Yeah, and I miss Granny,” Webby added solemnly.</p><p>“Guys, I know it’s been hard, but we need a place to sleep! It’s almost 2:30am, and we’re exhausted,” the red triplet insisted. The others sighed, nodding their heads.</p><p>“Okay, fine! Then let’s check in,” Louie said, finally giving in.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****5 DAYS AGO (10 APRIL)****</b>
</p><p>“Okay! So hopefully, this is the <em> last </em> hotel we’ll be staying in!” Huey exclaimed, grinning sheepishly. Now they were in Tijuana (Baja California, Mexico), so at least they were pretty close to the U.S. border.</p><p>After ordering dinner over the phone, Louie and Webby were busy watching a movie while chatting excitedly amongst themselves. </p><p>However, not everyone was having fun. At least Dewey wasn’t. He locked the bathroom door and sat on the toilet, sobbing quietly into his hands. <em> I wanna go </em> <b> <em>home</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>“Dewey, are you in there? Can I come in?” Huey asked him in his typical big-brother voice while knocking on the door.</p><p>“Y-Yeah. Just a second,” he croaked, sniffing loudly before unlocking the door. “It’s open.” Huey opened it and gasped once he saw his little brother’s swollen red eyes and tear-stained cheeks.</p><p>“Dew, what’s wrong?” Huey demanded gently, cupping his little brother’s face with both hands. And that’s when Dewey confessed how much he missed their home as well as Scrooge, Donald, and Della.</p><p>“I-I’m scared, Hue. W-What if we never reach home a-and end up being separated for good because we can’t handle supporting each other financially — ” but he was cut off by Huey’s comforting words, hands still on Dewey’s cheeks.</p><p>“Hey—that won’t happen. I promise you, we’ll never be separated,” the eldest vowed, but the middle triplet wasn’t convinced.</p><p>“Our flights have constantly been delayed over and over. Our family already thinks we’re dead, and th-they had to mourn over us for the past <em> 23 </em> days. A-And it’s all our <em> fault</em>!” Dewey sobbed.</p><p>“Shh. It’s not your fault, bro. And it’s not any of our faults, ‘cause everything that happened was beyond our control,” Huey reassured him before embracing his blue-clad brother, rubbing soothing circles on his back.</p><p>"It's gonna be okay," the older triplet added softly. After 15 more minutes, Dewey managed to calm down and dry his remaining tears as the eldest flashed him a tender smile.</p><p>“Hey guys! Dinner’s here!” Webby hollered from the living room.</p><p>“Coming!” Huey and Dewey replied simultaneously before the middle triplet smiled as well. <em> Yeah....we’ll make it back, ‘cause </em> <b> <em>nothing</em> </b> <em> can stop us! </em></p><hr/><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (15 APRIL)****</b>
</p><p>“They’re here,” the detective told them, pointing towards the cab that had just arrived in front of McDuck Manor. Scrooge, Donald, Della, and Mrs. Beakley gulped loudly, anticipating how their reunion would go, and it was undoubtedly full of relieved laughs and lots of tears.</p><p>“Oh boys! W-We missed you <em> so </em>much!” Della wailed while her tears soaked the triplets’ head feathers. Scrooge and Donald wrapped their arms around all four of them, weeping bitterly as well.</p><p>“W-We missed you too!” Louie blubbered like a baby, being the youngest and most sensitive of the three.</p><p>“Y-Yeah. We’ve had quite the ride, b-but I’m glad we’re home now,” Dewey added tearfully, wiping his scarlet-rimmed eyes.</p><p>“The fact that we had to spend the last three hours on a <em> cargo </em>plane was bad enough!” Huey blurted out, laughing through his tears. Soon, they were all laughing and crying at the same time. Bentina kept her arms around Webby's shoulders before joining their embrace.</p><p>Two hours later, Fenton and Launchpad immediately heard the news and rushed towards McDuck Manor, where the two older triplets were already waiting patiently for their best friends. So yeah, those two were a mess while Huey and Dewey consoled them, smiling.</p><p>“Oh, by the way, kiddo—h-happy birthday!” Fenton choked out while fixing his red-rimmed eyes on Huey’s smiling face before ruffling the 12-year-old’s hair.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>****SAME DAY****</strong>
</p><p>"So uh....should we tell them yet?" Webby's vocal doppelgänger (July Duck) questioned her sisters, who happened to be identical triplets.</p><p>"No way! They'll <em>never</em> speak to us again!" May's doppelgänger (Nina Duck) replied hastily.</p><p>"Actually, July's right. I think we should....but we need a plan," June's doppelgänger (Thelma Duck) suggested, to which her sisters nodded in agreement.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Like I've mentioned in the previous chapter, there are definitely major character deaths, though it's actually Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby's clones rather than their original selves. I got the idea from constant discussion threads on whether or not the original Gyro had survived the Season 2 finale.</p><p>I've actually been to Iceland, New Zealand, and Mexico (but not Portugal or the city of Tijuana), so it was really fun writing this chapter. Also, I really miss travelling internationally due to our current situation, so yeah.</p><p>Hope you've enjoyed reading! :)</p><p>A/N: July, Nina, and Thelma Duck will return in future chapters, but not all of them. Also—July comes after June (as you all know), Nina is based on the 1987 character's name (Nina Quackwell), and Thelma is a separate character from Della in the *DT 2017* Universe.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. *Challenge of The Senior Junior Woodchucks! (S3E1)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Violet fails to save Huey from falling into the lava pit on the way to the finish line. While the McDuck family is grieving, F.O.W.L. has been planning something bigger than just taking down Scrooge McDuck.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay....so this chapter isn't my best work, and I kind of rushed it. I might add a couple of things later on (most likely not), but for now, this is it (sorry about that).</p><p>Also, don't worry. There is an actual death in this chapter. 😈</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (7 JUNE)****</b>
</p><p>Huey was about to fall into the lava below. It was piping hot, and the magma spurted out, disintegrating a sliver of the rope he was balancing on. </p><p>Violet was in the lead, hanging from a paraglider she recently put together. Sensing that her fellow Junior Woodchuck was in trouble, she descended a few feet, attempting to grab Huey’s hand. Unfortunately, she was unsuccessful and lost her grip.</p><p>“NO!!” she screamed. <em> What have I </em> <b> <em>done</em></b><em>?? </em> It was too late. Hubert Duck was <em> gone</em>. Dead. D-E-A-D. God! Violet <em> hated </em> that word. She wanted to get it out of her head. Sadly, she couldn’t as her eyes watered, hot saltwater escaping from them.</p><p>Five minutes later, the ground beneath her lowered as Launchpad eventually congratulated Violet for winning the Junior Woodchuck Wilderness Challenge. However, his smile faltered once he saw her red eyes and wet cheeks.</p><p>“Is uh—is everything okay? You don’t seem super excited that you’re finally a Senior Woodchuck,” Launchpad pointed out, obviously concerned. </p><p>Violet couldn’t speak. Her vocal chords refused to move. Everything was still and confusing. Nothing was being processed at the moment. Her friend—her fellow peer—was <em> dead</em>. But she couldn’t say it out loud. No! It would <em> devastate </em> Huey’s family!</p><p>“I um—thank you, Launchpad,” she stuttered, averting her gaze from everyone while accepting her brand new position as Senior Woodchuck—except she didn’t <em> really </em> accept it.</p><p>45 minutes later, Scrooge noticed that something was off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. <em> Perhaps </em> <b> <em>Violet</em> </b> <em> knows where </em> <em>Huey</em> <em> is. </em></p><p>“I um....Mr. McDuck. Th-There’s something you should know—” she tried to confess. Before Violet could explain what actually happened, they both heard several horrified screams coming from outside the underground cave. </p><p>Dozens of other Junior Woodchucks and their guardians were gathered around a small body—of a 12-year-old boy. It was completely mutilated and several flesh wounds were wide open and flowing. But it wasn’t a clone or a doppelgänger—not this time (since Dr. Gearloose’s clone machine was absent). This was the <em> real </em> Huey Duck.</p><p>More screams were heard, but unlike last time, those were familiar voices (at least for Scrooge McDuck). Della was sobbing loudly into her oldest son’s Junior Woodchuck hat. On the other hand, Donald was frozen in place, mouth agape while tears continuously ran down his face.</p><p>Dewey and Louie slowly approached their mom and uncle with confused expressions. However, they both received their answers once they spotted Huey’s corpse. The middle triplet instantly threw up in his own mouth before swallowing his vomit. He soon burst into hiccuping sobs and begged his older brother to come back. </p><p>The youngest triplet, however, was <em>fuming</em>. In fact, he started yelling at Huey’s dead body, blaming him for being so careless and idiotic. Louie refused to cry—not yet anyway. He’d save the tears for later, perhaps the funeral. Maybe a future birthday or something. He didn’t know and neither did he care.</p><p>Scrooge held Webby in his arms while they both wept shamelessly over Huey’s death. Mrs. Beakley and Launchpad cast their family members sympathetic looks while struggling to contain their own tears. Overall, this was undoubtedly the worst day of their lives.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****1 DAY LATER (8 JUNE)****</b>
</p><p>It was the next day, and Louie could no longer keep his promise by staying mad. In fact, it took one glance at Huey’s picture for him to finally break down in tears, apologizing repeatedly for lashing out at him and being a horrible brother. The youngest also forced himself to starve all day.</p><p>Meanwhile, Dewey spent most of the day either sleeping in another bedroom, crying, or refusing to eat anything. He also watched countless video messages that Huey recorded. Some of them were hilarious while others were more emotional or boring. At the end of the 10th recording, Dewey immediately sobbed his heart out, unable to form coherent words.</p><p>Scrooge contacted Lena’s new parents, only to find out that their younger daughter (Violet) committed suicide because she blamed herself for not being able to save Huey on time. The old man instantly hung up and exhaled in shock. He already knew his red-clad nephew’s death was an accident, but Violet felt <em>responsible</em>?? Did he blame her or not?</p><p>It didn't matter now, because either way, losing his oldest great-nephew was <em>too </em>painful.</p><p>"I'm <em>so sorry</em>, child! I should've done something, but I wasn't there!" Scrooge sobbed hopelessly into his arms until his eyes turned red, wetting his coat sleeves.</p><p>Elsewhere, Donald nearly destroyed the houseboat, ripping apart furniture and posters on the wall out of grief-filled rage. His knees then wobbled as the sailor lowered himself to the ground, bawling like a baby. <em> My </em> <b> <em>baby boy</em></b><em>! </em> <em>Please </em><em>come back</em> <em> to me! </em> <b> <em>Please</em> </b> <em> don’t be </em> <b> <em>dead</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>Della’s tears were quiet yet endless. She didn’t bother to wipe them away from her puffy red eyes as the pilot fell into a deep depression, contemplating suicide. <em>Maybe</em> <em> I should just—</em><b><em>leave</em></b><em>. My son was already </em> <em>taken</em><b><em> away </em></b><em>from me</em><em>, and they </em> <b><em>obviously </em></b><em>blame me</em><em>, so why not? </em> Of course, she had two other sons who were still alive and needed her—but did they? Really? <em>No! <strong>Stop</strong> thinking like that! Dewey and Louie still need you <strong>here</strong>!</em> She berated herself.</p><p>Even though Webby was busy mourning over Huey as much as everyone else was, she received a call from a grief-stricken Lena. The teen’s words were unintelligible due to her loud sobs and hiccups.</p><p>“I-It’s all m-my fault Violet’s g-gone!” she choked out. Webby, however, disagreed with Lena’s self-accusatory statement.</p><p>“Lena, it’s not your fault. Don’t you <em> ever </em> say that again,” the 12-year-old told her firmly.</p><p>“D-Do you hate her? You know—for Huey’s....?” the teen anticipated, still sniffling. Webby thought about it for a second. <em>Did </em> she blame Violet for Huey’s death? Well no! Of course not!</p><p>“It was <em> nobody’s </em> fault. If anything, it was an accident. Violet didn’t <em> mean </em> to lose her grip. It was beyond her control,” the younger girl reminded her. “But I am <em> so </em>sorry for what happened to her,” she added shakily.</p><p>“And I’m really sorry about Huey,” Lena replied tearfully before chuckling humorlessly. “God! This day <em> sucks</em>!”</p><p>“I know, right? But honestly, I’m more worried about the guys. I don’t know how they’re gonna get through this. Huey was my best friend, but he was their <em> brother</em>,” Webby admitted. “It’s gonna take a really long time for them to recover.”</p><p>“Yeah. Tell them that I’m....you know....” Lena told her. </p><p>Webby nodded and said, “I will.” With that, both girls hung up as the 12-year-old resumed sobbing softly into her sleeves.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>****SAME DAY****</strong>
</p><p>"Sh-Should we call—?" July choked out, blubbering softly.</p><p>"Yeah—we should," Nina said, voice hoarse from her own tears.</p><p>"O-Our li—! He's....!" Thelma sobbed without constraint, despite not being an easier crier.</p><p>"I know, sis—but we'll get through this. Besides, we need to call remaining family members and make sure they're okay," Nina instructed while hugging her baby sister.</p><p>"O-Okay."</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****1 WEEK LATER (14 JUNE)****</b>
</p><p>It was 4:00am, and Louie remained wide awake, staring blankly at the window. He then heard soft sobbing coming from the bunk bed above him. <b> <em>Dewey</em></b><em>! </em> After climbing the ladder to check on his immediate older brother, Louie’s suspicions were confirmed. Dewey was indeed crying, his eyes bloodshot and puffed up.</p><p>“Dew?” he suddenly asked. The said triplet abruptly stopped sobbing and gasped, staring at Louie’s worried expression. The blue triplet struggled to muster up a brave façade, silently berating himself for being openly vulnerable when he should’ve been strong for his baby brother.</p><p>“L-Louie? I-I didn’t know you were up,” he stammered while sniffling, wiping his runny nose with both sleeves. The latter shrugged.</p><p>“I never really slept,” he admitted, frowning. “Besides, I’m more worried about you.” Dewey blinked in surprise before dismissing his comment.</p><p>“Don’t be. It’s okay. I’m fine. I-It was just a stupid nightmare,” the middle triplet lied through his teeth, but obviously Louie wasn’t buying it. The youngest crossed his arms in disapproval and shook his head.</p><p>“Don’t do that,” he said sternly. </p><p>Dewey was confused. “Do what?”</p><p>“Don’t pretend that you’re okay in front of me, because you’re <em> not</em>. You’ve been doing that all week—and frankly, it’s <em> frustrating</em>,” Louie scolded him, arms still crossed.</p><p>“I-I’m not — ” the blue triplet objected, but his little brother wouldn’t hear it.</p><p>“I know Uncle Scrooge said that you’re 'tougher than the toughies', but it doesn’t mean you have to be strong for us all the time,” the green triplet reminded him. Dewey tried to protest again, but Louie wouldn’t let him.</p><p>“Just because you’re three seconds <em> older </em> than me, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t worry about you too, because I am. Even though I’m your little brother, we’re a <em> family</em>. A-And I know I don’t usually say it—but I love you, man. You’re my brother, and nothing’s ever gonna change that.”</p><p>Dewey contemplated his words and began sobbing again, blurting out how he was the worst brother in the world, and he could’ve been better. Louie shook his head again, saying that nobody thought that, especially Huey. After 20 more minutes, the middle triplet managed to calm down and suddenly had a thought.</p><p>“M-Maybe we should go to therapy,” Dewey suggested, his head resting on his baby brother’s chest, arms wrapped around his waist. Louie continued playing with his big brother’s wild hair, eyes widening in surprise.</p><p>“You wanna see a <em>shrink</em>?” he asked incredulously.</p><p>Dewey nodded. “Yeah. I think it’ll help us—you know—deal with all this.”</p><p>Louie nodded too. “Alright—then let’s do it.”</p><p>"And I'll call Dr. Featherwing tomorrow and see if she has a spot available for us," the middle triplet added.</p><p>Both of them smiled before crawling under the blue covers and eventually falling asleep.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****9 DAYS LATER (16 JUNE)****</b>
</p><p>“Technically, I first met Huey when he was just an egg. However, ten-and-a-half years later, he bombarded me with lots of questions about....almost everything, really. It was then I knew that he was definitely <em> smarter than the smarties</em>....” Scrooge began his speech at the funeral, which was held inside a medium-sized chapel.</p><p>Meanwhile, Fenton had just found out about Huey’s death the previous night. At first, he was furious that his mother didn’t inform him earlier, as they were still not speaking. But now, he succumbed to his own tears, gazing sorrowfully at his best friend’s coffin. </p><p>He then noticed the remaining two triplets who were sitting next to each other, putting on stoic façades for everyone else. For Fenton, it was wrong on so many levels. Those boys didn’t have to stay strong for anyone. They were just kids! Then again, maybe they already cried themselves out. At least that’s what the superhero thought.</p><p>While finding another excuse to avoid his mother, he ultimately decided to step outside and feel the cool breeze on his face. A few feet away, Dewey and Louie were sitting beside the apple tree, staring at the afternoon sky and reminiscing over the good ol’ days when Huey was still alive and well.</p><p>That’s when Dewey suddenly burst into tears. “God! I-I just <em> really </em> miss him!” he spluttered.</p><p>Louie draped his arm around his big brother’s shoulders. “I know. Me too,” he replied soothingly, but that just made Dewey cry harder, so Louie wrapped both arms around him and held his blue-clad brother close.</p><p>20 minutes had passed, and the youngest wiped away his older brother’s swollen red eyes and tear-stained cheeks with his sleeves.</p><p>“Th-Thanks, bro,” Dewey said hoarsely.</p><p>“Don’t mention it,” Louie replied, smiling weakly.</p><p>As both of them walked back towards the chapel, they instantly spotted Fenton staring into space, not really paying attention to his surroundings.</p><p>“Fenton?” the blue triplet breathed, nearly gasping in surprise as the 12-year-old approached him cautiously. Louie followed his brother, unsure of what was happening.</p><p>“Huh?” Fenton suddenly said, snapping out of his daze. “Oh. H-Hey guys,” he added shakily. Dewey couldn’t take it anymore as he hugged the superhero tightly.</p><p>“Th-Thanks for coming. And um—thanks for being Huey’s best friend,” the middle brother thanked him before more tears leaked out of the boy’s eyes. Fenton was at a loss for words as Dewey continued.</p><p>“I-I just—Huey had a lot of trouble making friends, you know? But then he met <em> you </em> a-and....you made his life so much better. So I just wanted to thank you for that.” Okay—now the older duck started crying again, but this time out of pure happiness and gratitude.</p><p>“No....thank <em> you</em>. If I hadn’t met you, I probably wouldn’t have even <em> heard </em> about your brother in the first place—so yeah,” he responded tearfully, chuckling a bit. The blud-clad duckling laughed too. Louie shook his head, smiling at both of them.</p><p>“Boys, we need to head back!” Della called out to her remaining two sons while waiting impatiently beside the limo, adjusting her black funeral dress.</p><p>“Coming, Mom!” both boys replied simultaneously.</p><p>“So um—we’ll see you around, right?” Dewey asked Fenton hopefully as the latter nodded fervently.</p><p>“Of <em> course </em> you will,” he reassured the kid with fierce determination. And with that, the McDucks had left.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****10 DAYS LATER (17 JUNE)****</b>
</p><p>“Boys! You <em> cannot </em> skip school! The semester isn’t over for another four days, and I need to call your cousins soon!” Dr. Amelia Featherwing (M.D./Psy.D./Ph.D.) scolded her three identical triplet sons: Aloiso, Antonio, and Carmello Featherwing. </p><p>You see, they used to live in Inverness (Highland, Scotland) before moving to the U.S. nearly a year ago. However, their school was located in San Francisco, which was an hour from where they lived in Duckburg. Yeah....so one would imagine how difficult their commute was.</p><p>Also, they just happened to be Huey, Dewey, and Louie’s doppelgängers, physically <em> and </em> vocally. Only their accents, hairstyles, and personalities were different. Hell, even their mother looked and sounded exactly like Della Duck!</p><p>“But Mum! We had to see if our friends were okay! They just lost their brother!” Aloiso, the oldest triplet, protested. Physically and vocally, people mistook him for Huey Duck, but he certainly didn’t act like him due to his daring and impulsive nature.</p><p>“He’s right, Mum. Huey was our friend too. In fact, he was the one who helped us talk to each other again, remember?” Antonio, the middle triplet, reminded her. In physical/vocal terms, he resembled Dewey Duck. Unlike the former, though, he was more sensible and cautious.</p><p>“Exactly!” Carmello, the youngest triplet, exclaimed boldly. He definitely resembled Louie Duck physically/vocally, but unlike his American doppelgänger, he was shamelessly jovial and optimistic, even to the point where it annoyed his older brothers sometimes.</p><p>“Oh alright! Fine! But when you three return home, you’re grounded for two weeks!” Amelia warned them.</p><p>“Yes, Mum,” her boys replied dejectedly. However, the grounding was worth it because they finally got a chance to thank their doppelgängers once again for helping their own family heal last year. But that's a story for another time.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****14 MONTHS AGO (7 APRIL)****</b>
</p><p>The night after everyone defeated their shadow counterparts....</p><p>“So! It seems like those pesky little brats have several doppelgängers across the globe! Perhaps it is our duty to capture them all and force them to work for us!” the three vultures at F.O.W.L.’s Duckburg headquarters sneered.</p><p>“But we won’t be able to locate them all!” Gandra Dee argued. “They’re <em> everywhere</em>—England, Scotland, Croatia, France, Finland, Algeria, New Zealand, Ireland, Argentina, Italy, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, South Africa....! Th-The list is endless!”</p><p>“That is correct. Our current world population is significantly higher than our human counterparts, so it will be more difficult to pinpoint their locations. Remember, our Earth consists of anthropomorphic animals, whereas their Earth consists of human beings. Besides, we reproduce more frequently,” the oldest vulture reminded her.</p><p>“Enough! We need to focus!” the middle vulture screeched.</p><p>“Then let’s stop yapping and actually get some work done!” the youngest vulture scolded them.</p><p>“Curse you, McDuck!” the oldest vulture swore under his breath. “One day, it <em> will </em> be your downfall!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Since Season 3 just started two months ago, and we're only seven episodes in, I might revert to episodes in Season 2 that I haven't written for yet (i.e. "The Most Dangerous....Game Night!"; "Last Christmas!"; "Happy Birthday, Doofus Drake!"; etc).</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. *Double-O-Duck In You Only Crash Twice! (S3E3)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Launchpad doesn't survive the Double-O-Duck game simulation, thus traumatizing his best friend. Elsewhere, Fenton begs Gyro to reactivate the Alternate Timeline Communicator.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Right now, Season 3 of *Ducktales (2017)* is still fresh despite new episodes resuming after a 4-month hiatus, so there's a lot of speculation involved in this chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (9 JULY)****</b>
</p><p>It was four days since Launchpad McQuack’s untimely death and three days before his funeral. The middle triplet was still a blubbering mess, leaving tear tracks all over his pillow every night. Of course, it would take a lot more than four days to move on from his best friend’s tragic demise.</p><p>Huey and Louie might have not been as close to Launchpad as Dewey was, but they grieved over him too, recalling the events of Game Night last year in detail. Even so, they both took turns helping their middle brother with his own grief.</p><p>It was a rainy day—how typical after four days of grieving. Dewey sat outside on the top step of the staircase leading to the front door of McDuck Manor. His clothes and feathers were soaked from head-to-toe, but he didn’t give a shit. All he wanted was for his best friend to miraculously come back to life and embrace the living daylights out of him. Sadly, that never happened.</p><p>“Dewey?” Huey snapped him out of his mournful daze. The said triplet turned his head around and locked his swollen bloodshot eyes onto his older brother’s concerned ones. Tears continued streaming out of Dewey’s eyes like buckets, or was it the rain?</p><p>“Y-Yeah?” he choked out. </p><p>Huey gasped, scanning his little brother’s drenched body. “Dude, you’re <em> soaking wet</em>! Let’s get you inside!” With that, the eldest immediately wrapped a towel around Dewey’s shoulders and carefully brought him inside the house.</p><p>“What were you <em> thinking</em>? You could’ve fallen sick!” Huey exclaimed scoldingly. Dewey remained silent for another minute.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” he murmured before his face scrunched up again. </p><p>Huey’s expression softened. “Dew?” He then set his hand on the blue triplet’s shoulder, waiting for a response. That’s when the latter broke down in tears for the second time today.</p><p>“I-I can’t—! I can’t do this!” he sobbed brokenly, hiccuping between sentences. “I-I’m so sick and tired of crying! I just want this pain to stop! We need—we need to bring him <em>back</em>! W-We need to revive him!”</p><p>Struggling to keep his own tears at bay, Huey cleared his throat and embraced his immediate little brother, shushing him softly while rubbing his back. Finally, the oldest triplet also began weeping quietly, unable to see his baby brother in so much pain, but also because he missed Launchpad too—a <em> lot</em>.</p><p>The Junior Woodchuck leaned his head against Dewey’s for a split second before pulling back to gently kiss his forehead. Suddenly, Scrooge’s voice echoed through the hallway leading to the lobby area.</p><p>Once he was close enough to his nephews, he said, “Boys, I just received a call from the morgue. They started preparing Launchpad’s body for the funeral, which is in three days.” Both of them nodded tearfully.</p><p>A few minutes later, Huey and Dewey headed back to their room, spotting Louie typing furiously on his laptop. The latter appeared stoic, but his eyes were obviously red and puffy from crying.</p><p>“Hey guys,” he croaked, sniffling a bit. “I’m just uh—trying to find out who infiltrated that game at Funso’s a few days back.”</p><p>The oldest triplet glanced at his baby brother with concern. “Oh. Did you find anything?” he asked curiously.</p><p>Louie sighed defeatedly. “No, not yet. But don’t worry, those assholes <em> won’t </em> get away with this. I’ll make sure they rot in prison for the rest of their fucking lives,” he growled.</p><p>Both brothers were taken aback. Louie was downright pissed off, and for a good reason. But then again, he rarely got angry.</p><p>“That’s great, Lou—but how are we gonna do it? We have no idea who or where they are,” Huey mentioned.</p><p>“Good point, but according to my sources, they’re in the city,” Louie revealed, smiling victoriously.</p><p>“Whoa! That’s awesome! We’ll be able to catch them sooner!” Huey exclaimed, satisfied.</p><p>“Exactly!” Louie agreed.</p><p>Meanwhile, Dewey was lost in his own world, recalling what happened four days earlier.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****4 DAYS AGO (5 JULY)****</b>
</p><p>Launchpad (a.k.a. <strong>Agent Double-O-Duck</strong>) was about to sacrifice his life in order to save himself and Dewey—inside the game. After the simulation was over, they were back at Funso’s. Dewey was the only one to wake up, though.</p><p>“Did we beat it? We beat the game!” the middle triplet exclaimed happily. Launchpad didn’t respond, but Dewey continued anyway. “Wait ‘til I tell Huey that I—” He paused and turned around. “—<em>you </em> beat the game.” Again, no response.</p><p>The blue triplet instantly waved his hand above his best friend’s face, noticing that he was still unconscious. “Launchpad? <em> Hello</em>? Wake up! You did it!” the 12-year-old beamed. Nope! Nothing.</p><p>“Launchpad?” Dewey repeated, now worried. “Hey!” He instantly nudged the pilot’s side. </p><p>When that didn’t work, the middle triplet shook Launchpad’s shoulders. “Dude, wake up,” he said more firmly. “Wake up!” he enunciated, growing impatient. <em> Launchpad, </em> <em>do</em><b><em> not</em></b> <em> make me </em> <b><em>slap </em></b><em>you</em><em>! </em></p><p>All of a sudden, Dewey had an idea. He lowered his head onto Launchpad’s chest in order to feel his heartbeat—but no such luck. Nothing was happening. There was no heartbeat. </p><p>Dreading the worst-case scenario, Dewford yanked his phone from his back pocket and dialed 911. “Yes, hello! I’m at Funso’s Fun Zone and my friend is not breathing. I can’t find his heartbeat. Please hurry!” As soon as he hung up, the 12-year-old breathed unevenly while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.</p><p>There was an emergency entrance adjacent to the Double-O-Duck game simulator, but since Funso’s was too loud in anycase, nobody would hear the ambulance siren roaring. Once the paramedics hopped out of the truck, one of them ordered the others to grab a defibrillator to shock Launchpad’s heart, praying that the electric signals would restart it as soon as possible.</p><p>“1, 2, 3, CLEAR!” the chief paramedic shouted, injecting electrical shocks into the pilot’s heart, but it still wasn’t moving. </p><p>“Shit! Okay, let’s try again! 1, 2, 3, CLEAR!” Yeah....nothing was working.</p><p>“1, 2, 3, CLEAR!” After the 20th try, the paramedics gave up, indicating that Launchpad’s time of death was 3:19pm. Dewey gasped loudly, though it sounded more like a hiccup. Slapping his hand on his mouth, the child’s entire body shook violently as he gradually approached his best friend’s corpse.</p><p>Sighing sadly, the chief paramedic gave Dewey an apologetic look while placing her hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, kiddo. We tried everything we could, but....” Shaking her head, she added, “Is there anyone we can call? According to our charts, Mr. McQuack has no emergency contacts.” </p><p>Dewey shook his head, too numb to respond. Tears gathered in his eyes, but he blinked them away.</p><p>“Alright then.” After two minutes, the ambulance drove away, carrying Launchpad’s dead body inside the vehicle. </p><p>Dewey continued standing there, frozen in shock. He couldn’t move or speak. 40 seconds flew by before he slowly walked towards where Scrooge and Webby were. The old man seemed worn out due to buying an expensive comb for 3,000,000 tickets.</p><p>“I don’t think we should bring you here anymore,” Webby suggested before Scrooge thanked her in a low voice.</p><p>“Anyway,” the billionaire added, sniffing. “We should get back. Come, kids. Let’s uh—let’s never come here again.” Webby nodded in agreement.</p><p>The old man paused and turned around. “Hold on—we should wait for Launchpad. He’s our ride home.” The blue triplet stopped abruptly, holding his breath. Dewey knew he had to tell them, but he was too afraid to say or do anything. Scrooge and Webby stared at him, blatantly confused.</p><p>“Lad, what’s going on? Why are you looking at us like that?” the billionaire asked his nephew warily.</p><p>“I um—” Dewey wheezed. “L-Launchpad’s not here,” he blurted out.</p><p>Scrooge huffed, hands on his hips. “What d’you mean he’s <em> not </em> here? He was with you an hour ago!”</p><p>“Actually, he um....he—he died a few minutes ago,” the 12-year-old mumbled.</p><p>“What?” he exclaimed before laughing disbelievingly. “Oh! You got me there, lass!” </p><p>Once his serious demeanor returned, Scrooge added sternly, “Now seriously, stop playing games. Where is he?”</p><p>“I’m not playing games. It really happened,” Dewey insisted, voice wobbling with anticipation and sadness.</p><p>Before the billionaire could retort, the blue triplet added, “The paramedics tried to restart his heart with a defibrillator, but it didn’t work. Eventually, his brain shut down. So after a few minutes, he was already—” Dewey inhaled sharply, unable to finish his sentence while attempting to maintain a stoic façade. The middle triplet refused to cry, but he seemed pretty close.</p><p>After that, both of them suddenly heard small whimpers and turned towards Webby, who muffled her sobs with her hands. Saltwater leaked out of her swollen red eyes and stained her cheeks. She shook her head in denial while muttering <em> no </em> and <em> please </em> repeatedly. Scrooge looked anguished, but he also held his tears in.</p><p>Since they currently had no driver, they called a taxi instead to drive them back home. Once they arrived at the front gate, the old man squeezed Webby’s hand consolingly while a couple of tears spilled from his own eyes. Dewey, however, didn’t shed a single tear yet. He’d wait just a little longer.</p><p>The three of them entered the mansion and heard wholehearted laughter coming from across the hall. While Scrooge and Webby remained in the lobby area, Dewey dragged himself upstairs and spotted Donald and Della in the triplets’ bedroom watching hilarious videos on their iPads (a.k.a. Waddle Pads) with Huey and Louie squished between them.</p><p>Immediately noticing the blue triplet, they invited him over to join them in their never-ending laugh fest. Dewey didn’t move, and so his brothers continued persisting him to come over.</p><p>He then shook his head and replied, “I um—” he started with a forlorn expression. But before Dewey could continue, a frantic Mrs. Beakley barged in and announced that Launchpad was dead, holding a copy of his autopsy report which was delivered by the paramedics.</p><p>With baffled expressions, Donald and Della instantly paused the video. They read over the report at least ten times before they gasped in shock, covering their mouths. </p><p>Meanwhile, Huey and Louie stared at Dewey with similar expressions, demanding to know if this was true. Nodding his head, the middle triplet fell onto his knees and inhaled deeply. Once he exhaled, it abruptly turned into hysterical sobbing. </p><p>And that, my friends, was the confirmation his brothers needed. Louie shook his head and murmured <em> no </em> over and over while his face became wet with tears. Huey’s eyes turned scarlet due his soft sobs and hiccups as he crawled towards where Dewey was sitting, embracing him tightly.</p><p>Soon, the red triplet’s shirt was drenched in his little brother’s tears. Shushing him softly, Huey placed a firm kiss on Dewey’s head feathers while weeping bitterly himself. The eldest’s arms were still wrapped around the blue triplet’s body.</p><p>“Oh my God!” Della whispered shakily before turning around to witness her two older sons crying in each others’ arms. Donald noticed this too as he knelt down and engulfed Huey and Dewey in his own arms from behind. Louie soon dragged himself until he was sitting adjacent to his immediate big brother’s trembling body, rubbing soothing circles on his back.</p><p>“I’m so sorry!” the youngest choked out, tears clogging his throat. Huey apologized as well, stroking Dewey’s entangled hair.</p><p>“Oh boys!” Donald sighed sadly, embracing his three nephews.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>****SAME DAY****</strong>
</p><p>"Whoa! Slow down, Dew. Just tell us what happened," July said in a calming voice.</p><p>"L-Launchpad—! He um—he's <em>dead</em>...." Dewey continued his explanation over the phone, words slightly incoherent due to his sobbing. The girls gasped. <em>What??</em></p><hr/><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (9 JULY)****</b>
</p><p>While Huey and Louie were discussing how to capture Launchpad’s killers, Dewey felt his lips tremble again as more tears fell. He muffled his sobs with both hands so that his brothers wouldn’t notice and then comfort him <em>again</em> today.</p><p>“Dewey?” Yeah—pretty sure they noticed. “What’s wrong?” the youngest triplet asked out of genuine concern, slowly getting up from his bunk bed.</p><p>“N-Nothing. It’s fine. Don’t worry about me, please,” Dewey begged him tearfully, but Louie wouldn’t have it as he gripped his big brother’s shoulders.</p><p>“Dew, it’s been four days. Nobody expects you to suck it up and get over it right away,” the young trickster told him firmly.</p><p>“B-But — ” Dewey protested.</p><p>“Right now, you’re not okay. But in time, you will be—as long as you have us to help you. Got it?” Louie promised, holding his palm against his own chest. The middle brother nodded quickly as he dissolved into tears again, covering his reddened eyes.</p><p>The youngest frowned sadly. “Oh—c’mere,” he said, opening his arms. Seeking comfort from his little brother, Dewey tackled him in a warm hug. Louie rubbed his back gently and shushed him while he cried.</p><p>Not wanting to feel left out, Huey embraced his middle sibling from behind and completed the hug. “Louie’s right. It’ll be okay—but not now,” he cooed while brushing Dewey’s hair back.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****12 JULY****</b>
</p><p>The four kids were the only ones who decided to say something to honor Launchpad. Dewey blubbered so much while reading the first paragraph of his speech that Webby decided to take over, taking a deep breath before reciting her friend’s words.</p><p>“....It didn’t matter how many times Launchpad crashed the Sunchaser. I <em> always </em> felt safe whenever he was around, because that’s who he was....” Webby read, struggling to maintain her stoic façade. Everyone else was in tears, surprised that Dewey had written such a heartfelt speech about his late best friend.</p><p>The middle triplet muffled his sobs while listening attentively to Webby’s voice. Normally, Dewey would’ve felt super embarrassed for openly crying in front of 60 people, let alone another person in general, but now, he didn’t care. He wanted to show the world that Launchpad was loved enough to grieve over him.</p><p>“....and I loved him <em> so much</em>. And I miss him <em> every </em>single day,” the 12-year-old girl concluded Dewford’s speech, her own voice trembling, eyes glistening with unshed tears. </p><p>As soon as all the speeches were finished, Dewey hugged Webby without hesitation, thanking her over and over again.</p><p>“You’re my best friend too, Webs, so you better not die either or else!” the blue triplet playfully warned her. Webby laughed softly, glad that Dewey was feeling a little better.</p><p>“I’m not going anywhere, Dew—I <em> promise</em>,” she swore.</p><hr/><p>Meanwhile, Gyro and Fenton returned to their underwater lab and tinkered with some of the loose wrenches that fell from the toolbox.</p><p>“Maybe it’s time to reactivate the Alternate Timeline Communicator,” the younger scientist suggested, scratching his head in deep thought. Gyro seemed resistant, though, so Fenton continued.</p><p>“I-It’s just that—ever since Launchpad—you know—Huey’s been really worried about his brother’s well-being, and....” He trailed off, sighing sadly.</p><p>“And....?” the chief scientist persisted, eyebrows raised.</p><p>“And w-well....I think it’ll be good for him, you know? For Dewey to talk to Launchpad from another timeline. It’ll definitely improve his mental health,” Fenton insisted.</p><p>Gyro rolled his eyes and groaned exasperatedly. “The kid’s already in therapy. What more does he need?”</p><p>His former trainee scoffed. “Are you kidding me?? Just because you don’t seem to care about anyone else, doesn’t mean you have to act like a jerk all the time!” he retaliated, fuming.</p><p>Dr. Gearloose spluttered, “I’m—I’m not — ”</p><p>“Yes you are! And you <em> always </em> have been!” Fenton nearly screamed, unable to control his anger this time. “You don’t give a shit about <em>anyone</em> but yourself! No wonder Dr. Akita thought so little of you!” But once he said it, the superhero immediately gasped and covered his mouth. <em> I’ve gone </em> <b> <em>too far</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>The chicken glared at his former employee, but he wasn’t pissed off. No, he seemed completely dejected.</p><p>“You’re right. Akita didn’t think I was worth it. But let me tell you something, former intern. I didn’t grow up with a loving family. They weren’t nice people, especially my dad. He’d always pressure me into doing things I didn’t want to do, and if I messed up, he’d insult me without giving it a second thought,” Gyro explained mournfully while Fenton quietly reprimanded himself for lashing out at him earlier.</p><p>“I know you grew up mostly with a single mom and barely knew your own dad. But at least your mom loves you. My parents never said that to me—not even <em>once</em>. I was a burden in their eyes, but you? I’d give anything to have what you have right now, even if it meant not knowing my father,” the chief scientist elaborated. His voice sounded painful, unlike Gyro’s normal demeanor.</p><p>“I-I didn’t know that. I’m—I’m really sorry — ” Fenton started apologizing, but Gyro interrupted him.</p><p>“Enough. I don’t need your <em> pity</em>,” he snapped, nostrils flaring. He then sighed loudly and added, “Just—go home, Cabrera. I’ll um—I’ll restart the A.T.C. and you can call your friend—you know—whenever he’s ready to—yeah.”</p><p>The superhero gulped and nodded before leaving the room. <em> What the </em> <b> <em>hell</em> </b> <em> just happened?! </em></p><hr/><p>
  <b>****17 JULY****</b>
</p><p>“You’re a <em> dead man</em>, Beaks!” Louie snarled after punching the selfish billionaire in the jaw. Mark’s teeth were sort of bloody as he gritted his teeth.</p><p>“Yeah....but I’m not the one who killed Launchpad McQuack. You might have to ask your vulture friends back at McDuck Enterprises. They seem a little shady for my liking anyway,” he stated in his typical 'what-the-fuck-did-I-do?!' voice.</p><p>This time, Huey punched his enemy’s stomach, satisfied that Mark Beaks was finally getting what he deserved—a <em> lot </em> of pain.</p><p>“You’re gonna tell us the truth, Mark. Otherwise, say bye-bye to your freedom for <em> good</em>!” the eldest growled, spitting in Mark’s face.</p><p>“Fuck you! I didn't <em>do</em> anything!” the parrot spat. That’s when Huey and Louie turned to each other, nodding in understanding before grabbing Mark Beaks by the collar.</p><p>“Here’s what’s gonna happen. You’ll call 911 and tell them that you were mugged, and we were <em> never </em> here, got it?!” the green triplet threatened him in a low voice.</p><p>“You two are fucking insane!” Mark croaked, voice sore from being beaten up a few minutes ago.</p><p>Huey shrugged nonchalantly. “Well—that’s what you get for hurting our family and nearly killing my best friend—intentional or not, so....”</p><p>Once Mark Beaks was hospitalized, the boys were nowhere in sight.</p><p>Back at home, Huey and Louie narrated the whole story to their brother, whose mouth was agape.</p><p>“Wait seriously?? You guys beat up Mark Beaks?” Dewey asked them incredulously. They both nodded before he added, “Wow! I’m impressed!”</p><p>“I know inflicting pain on someone else is usually wrong, but this time, it felt so good!” Huey admitted excitedly.</p><p>“Yeah. Beaks totally deserved it,” Louie stated firmly, crossing his arms in satisfaction.</p><p>“But—if he didn’t kill Launchpad—then who did?” Dewey suddenly asked. </p><p>His brothers blinked rapidly. <em> Dewey’s </em> <em>right</em><em>. We have </em> <b> <em>no idea</em> </b> <em> who killed him! </em></p><hr/><p>
  <b>****FLASHBACK (4 JULY)****</b>
</p><p>“I suppose killing that blasted McQuack would do us some good,” one of the vultures suggested menacingly.</p><p>“Or maybe....I dunno—capture him instead? I mean, killing him seems a bit too much, don’t you think?” Gandra responded hesitantly, shrugging her shoulders.</p><p>“No! We must kill McQuack right away! I heard that he’s going to Funso’s Fun Zone tomorrow with that idiot kid—what’s his name? <em> Dewford Duck</em>,” the middle vulture spat.</p><p>“Then it’s settled. Does anyone else have any objections?” the oldest vulture said, glaring at his employees. The remaining F.O.W.L. members shook their heads fearfully.</p><p>“Good. Then let’s get started. Scrooge McDuck and his family will never know it’s us.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading my fic so far. This is my first fanfiction story that's gotten published, so I hope it's okay at least. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. *Louie's Eleven! (S3E5)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After Emma Glamour's party ends, the building suddenly explodes, leaving Dewey and Louie hospitalized for the next two days. Meanwhile, Huey narrates the entire story to his therapist: Dr. Featherwing.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So basically, my four OCs are back! :)</p><p>Also, I already killed off Huey and Dewey simultaneously in Chapter 7 ("Timephoon!") and wrote how Louie would grieve over his brothers afterwards. So I've decided to do the same thing, but with Huey as the sole Duck triplet instead (including different circumstances).</p><p>Anyway, enjoy! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (27 SEPTEMBER)****</b>
</p><p>“C-Can I get some water, please?” the red triplet croaked through his endless supply of tears.</p><p>“Of course. I’ll be back in a minute.” Dr. Featherwing temporarily left the room in order to grab a bottle of water from one of the lounge areas.</p><p>In the meantime, Huey began blurting out apologies through his hiccuping sobs, glancing at a photo of himself and his two little brothers. Once Featherwing returned with a glass in her hand, the sole Duck triplet had finally calmed down.</p><p>“S-Sorry,” Huey sniffled, wiping his puffy scarlet-rimmed eyes. “I know it’s been a few weeks already, so I shouldn’t be crying anymore.”</p><p>“Oh it’s alright. Everyone grieves differently. It’s a long process,” Amelia replied with a sad smile while adjusting her glasses. </p><p>“It’s a perfectly normal response to what you’ve experienced, and actually—it’s a good thing. You’re openly expressing your emotions instead of bottling them all up,” she added knowingly.</p><p>“But it’s <em> exhausting</em>,” Huey objected. “I’m so sick and tired of crying myself to sleep every night. I just don’t wanna be sad anymore. I know my brothers would want me to move on and be happy, but....” The boy shook his head as his face scrunched up again.</p><p>“I-I can’t! How can I go on if they’re not here? It’s not fair! Why <em> them</em>?! Why not <em> me</em>?! I-I want them <em> back</em>!” The red triplet couldn’t take it anymore as he started to cry again, muffling his sobs with his hand.</p><p>“E-Everything reminds me of them. I can’t look at a single picture without—you know,” he added, gesturing to his tear-stricken face.</p><p>“Hmm....why don’t you start by telling me what happened?” Amelia suggested, noticing Huey’s doubtful expression.</p><p>“I promise, you’ll feel better once you say it out loud. Think of it as a narration exercise. Trust me, narrative therapy is <em>very</em> effective,” she elaborated compellingly.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****6 WEEKS AGO (16 AUGUST)****</b>
</p><p>But of course, Huey isn’t the narrator. I am!</p><p>Anyway, the Three Caballeros just finished performing “Hear My Voice” at Emma Glamour’s annual 'It-List' party. Everyone was busy enjoying themselves—laughing, dancing, singing, cracking jokes. Dewey and Louie were chatting happily with Webby about something totally irrelevant.</p><p>After an hour, nearly everyone exited the building, including Donald, José, Panchito, Webby, Beakley, even Glamour and her son (Mark Beaks). The two triplets were the last ones to leave. However, they barely reached the top steps when the building suddenly exploded.</p><p>Soon, the stairs were on fire, flames spreading everywhere like a virus. People were running and screaming hysterically, frantically calling their families over the phone. </p><p>While José and Panchito were frozen in place, mouths agape, Donald, Webby, and Beakley rushed towards the steps leading to the front door, where there was shattered glass all over the place. Firefighters ordered everyone to stay back while they got rid of the flames, pushing the trio back.</p><p>“Um—sir? I spot two casualties on top of the stairs. Should we check it out?” one of the firefighters said. The other firefighter nodded and resumed spraying water on the steps with a large hose.</p><p>“Holy shit! These two are still alive! And luckily, the fire didn’t touch them. However, they definitely inhaled too much smoke. We need to drive them to the emergency room stat!” the senior paramedic exclaimed.</p><p>“B-Boys?” Donald stammered. “Sir, m-my nephews. Are they alright?” he asked them, fearing the worst.</p><p>“Fortunately, they’re still alive and physically unharmed, aside from a few scratches that’ll heal in no time. Although, they’ll probably suffer from PTSD and most likely pyrophobia as well, so I recommend a ton of counseling,” the same paramedic explained. </p><p>The sailor nodded fervently before phoning Scrooge and Della. He made sure they would also break the news to Huey.</p><p>“Alright, Donald. We’re on our way. Hang in there, lad. Everything’ll be alright,” Scrooge reassured him, but obviously Donald was assuming the worst-case scenario, because he always did. It was natural for him, so why wouldn’t he?</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****41 DAYS AGO (17 AUGUST)****</b>
</p><p>14 hours later, it was almost noon, and the younger two triplets were placed on the same hospital bed. The ventilators helped them breathe properly while they slept, although both of them were tossing and turning consistently due to discomfort.</p><p>Donald and Della were on Dewey’s side, having fallen asleep on their chairs. Scrooge and Huey were on Louie’s side, but they were wide awake as the latter held his green-clad brother’s hand.</p><p>“Uncle Scrooge, how long d’you think they’re gonna stay here?” Huey asked worriedly.</p><p>“The doctors mentioned that they inhaled a lot of smoke, so your brothers need to be able to breathe properly before leaving the hospital. Although, I don’t think they’ll be here for too long,” Scrooge reassured him.</p><p>“Mr. McDuck?” one of the nurses called him from outside the room. The billionaire stood up and walked towards the woman wearing her medical uniform.</p><p>“Yes?” Scrooge replied sleepily while yawning.</p><p>“We need to discuss something with you. Can we talk outside for a minute?” The old man nodded and told Huey to keep an eye on his uncle and mother while he stepped out of the room.</p><p>“Um....” The nurse seemed hesitant while speaking. “There’s no easy way to say this, but....” Now Scrooge was dreading the answer. <em> Please be a </em> <b> <em>minor</em> </b> <em> setback!</em></p><p>“Unfortunately, due to the large amount of smoke your nephews inhaled, we can’t perform surgery,” she revealed, voice wavering slightly.</p><p>Scrooge flashed her a puzzled look. “W-What d’you mean? Why not?” he asked, his voice trembling with anticipation.</p><p>“Their lungs are failing at an exponential rate, so it’s too late to do anything. I’m so sorry.” The nurse wore a sympathetic expression.</p><p>The billionaire’s lips quivered. “So um....h-how long do they have?” he inquired, his voice breaking at the end.</p><p>Casting Scrooge another frown, she said, “24 hours.”</p><p>After a few minutes, the old man’s world continued spinning, unable to process what the nurse had told him. <em> 24 hours. </em> <b> <em>24 hours</em></b><em>. </em> He muttered repeatedly like a mantra. <em>Although technically, it’s now </em> <b> <em>23 hours and 55 minutes</em></b><em>. </em></p><p>As he entered the hospital room again, Donald and Della had just woken up as Huey stared at Scrooge with a confused yet hopeful expression.</p><p>“So uh—what did the nurses say?” he asked. Scrooge gulped loudly. </p><p>“24 hours,” he responded in a gruff voice. The oldest triplet’s eyebrows were raised. </p><p>“Oh wow! That’s awesome! I thought they were gonna stay here for at least a <em>week</em>, but that’s cool too!” he exclaimed optimistically, misinterpreting his great-uncle’s words. Donald and Della smiled too, glad that Scrooge managed to lift Huey’s spirits, but also ‘cause they were relieved as well.</p><p>However, that relief was short-lived once the old man explained the whole situation, eyes brimming with unshed tears. His adult nephew and niece’s eyes looked pretty much the same, except Della’s were actually leaking out tears while stifling her sobs.</p><p>On the other hand, Huey shook his head violently and uttered <em> no </em> over and over again like a broken record. This wasn’t real. Dewey and Louie were <em> not </em>dying! His baby brothers were going to <em> live</em>! They’d resume annoying him every five minutes in no time! </p><p>But alas—that wasn’t the case. As a rational and logical person, Huey was forced to accept reality. His brothers would remain on life support for the next 24 hours until their scheduled demise.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (27 SEPTEMBER)****</b>
</p><p>“So yeah. That’s when everything fell apart. I had to accept the fact that my brothers were dying and I couldn’t do anything to save—” Huey cut himself off as he cleared his throat. He wasn’t crying at this point, but the red triplet knew eventually, he’d start again.</p><p>The eldest then explained how Dewey and Louie had woken up a few minutes after Scrooge delivered the news, and the nurses informed them of the situation in private.</p><p>“S-So they ultimately understood and accepted it. B-But they were <em> so </em>scared! A-And I knew I had to push my feelings aside and be their big brother, telling them that everything would be okay soon.” Huey paused and took a few deep breaths. Unfortunately, that’s when he resumed blubbering like a baby.</p><p>“But the next morning, I just <em> couldn’t </em> stay strong for them anymore, so I broke down. I tried! I really did! B-But they were dying and my baby brothers w-would <em> never </em> come back!” he sobbed brokenly.</p><p>“I-It was supposed to be a pointless scheme! That's it! That’s all Louie wanted! B-But he just had to go and <em> die </em> afterwards! And D-Dewey....!” Huey couldn’t continue because he was crying too hard. Soon, he began coughing between sobs as he grabbed another kleenex and blew his nose, apologizing profoundly for wasting Featherwing’s time.</p><p>In return, she shook her head in disagreement, stating it was okay for Huey to cry as much as he needed to. Besides, they still had plenty of time until his session was over for this week.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****40 DAYS AGO (18 AUGUST)****</b>
</p><p>The younger two triplets had only four hours left until their official death sentence. Luckily, they woke up again two hours earlier and remained awake since then. Well....this was it! Time to say goodbye, fellas!</p><p>The first person was Launchpad. As soon as he locked his eyes on Dewey’s, the former instantly grabbed his best friend’s hands and apologized brokenly for not being good enough for him. Dewey retaliated, arguing that Launchpad was definitely good enough while also confessing how much he loved him, since he was family too.</p><p>Sobbing softly, the red-haired pilot squeezed Dewey’s body tightly and admitted that he loved him too. He then rushed to Louie’s side and thanked him for being a good friend as well. The latter smiled weakly and gave Launchpad a thumbs up, admitting how much he’d miss his silly remarks. </p><p>Now there were 3.5 hours left on the clock, so Mrs. Beakley, Webby, July, Nina, and Thelma were next. Webbigail was obviously a sobbing mess, leaving tears all over Dewey and Louie’s hospital gowns, whereas the triplet girls didn't look any better. Their eyes were puffy from crying excessively, which made the blue triplet shed a few tears for them. The youngest wept quietly in response as the six of them hugged and talked for the next 30 minutes.</p><p>Bentina confessed how much she enjoyed having them stay at McDuck Manor and that she’d miss their endless mischief, since they grew on her. Of course, their moment only lasted for 20 minutes as Scrooge was next in line. So—two hours and 40 minutes left? Yep. Sounds about right.</p><p>The billionaire teared up immediately once he spotted his two youngest nephews in such a weak state. Scrooge couldn’t help but allow the drops to roll down his cheeks, covering his mouth to muffle the hiccups as his eyes turned scarlet from the tears.</p><p>“Uncle Scrooge—don’t cry,” Dewey rasped, adjusting his position so that he was sitting upright on the hospital bed.</p><p>“Yeah. It’ll be okay,” Louie assured him with a light smile while patting an empty spot in the middle for Scrooge to sit. The latter obeyed and hopped onto the bed, crawling under the covers. Both boys leaned on each side of him, soaking in their uncle’s warmth.</p><p>“I dunno if this means anything to you, but I’m <em> so </em>happy that I met the three of you, randomly showing up on my doorstep,” Scrooge admitted, earning a small laugh from the two boys. The old man then circled his arms around them and brought the two ducklings closer, chuckling softly.</p><p>“I’ll miss you both more than you know, and I love you <em> so </em> much....I’m so proud of what you’ve become,” he added shakily, glancing at both his nephews before planting a firm kiss on each of their heads.</p><p>“W-We love you too, Uncle Scrooge,” Louie replied tearfully.</p><p>“Y-Yeah. We’ll miss you too. But don’t worry. If you guys are in trouble, feel free to contact our ghosts and we’ll beat the living crap out of—whatever monster you’re fighting,” Dewey added jokingly, which earned a tearful laugh from his uncle.</p><p>“Noted.”</p><p>And with that, another 40 minutes had already passed, so now what? Two hours were left (a.k.a. 120 minutes) and Della was next. Once she entered the room, she cast her sons a watery smile with tears cascading down from her puffy red eyes.</p><p>“My babies!” she whispered, failing to stifle her sobs. Eyeing their mother sadly, Dewey and Louie prompted Della to sit between them under the covers, which she did.</p><p>“Dewey, Louie—you three are the best things that ever happened to me. I’m not even kidding. I’ve spent <em> eleven </em>years trying to get back to you from the Moon, and it wasn’t easy. But eventually, it worked out,” she confessed, her voice quivering due to the tears. Della’s sons teared up as she spoke.</p><p>“I’m not gonna lie. I’ve screwed up as a parent more times than you can count, but I’ll always love you even when you’re gone. And that will <em> never </em> change,” she promised, kissing both their foreheads.</p><p>“We love you too, Mom,” Louie choked out, sniffling. “I um—I’m really scared. I-I don’t wanna die!” he added, now fully crying while gripping Della’s sweatshirt. In return, she shushed him softly while caressing his hair.</p><p>“Oh sweetie! I don’t want you to go either, but you’re <em> so </em>brave, baby. Much braver than I am,” she replied while weeping quietly. Dewey was brought to tears as well by watching his two family members cry.</p><p>“I-I’m scared too, Mom,” he whimpered. Della did the same thing with Dewey, kissing his head and stroking his feathers gently.</p><p>“I know, baby. Like I said, you’re so strong. No doubt about it,” she repeated. The boys’ heads were resting peacefully on her chest, listening to their mother’s soothing heartbeat.</p><p>Soon enough, only one hour and 20 minutes (80 minutes) were left, and now it was Donald’s turn to say goodbye. Like Scrooge, he was a blubbering mess once he noticed his two nephews struggling to breathe properly.</p><p>“We love you, Uncle Donald!” Dewey blurted out.</p><p>“Yeah, me too. T-Take care of Huey while we’re gone, okay? At least y-you still have him to boss around,” Louie reminded him between uneven breaths.</p><p>“M-Make sure he doesn’t lose himself. He still has to live f-for us,” the middle triplet croaked.</p><p>“Oh boys! I will! A-And I love you too—more than anyone else!” Donald sobbed without shame, his tears soaking Dewey and Louie’s hair as he embraced both of them tightly with his long arms.</p><hr/><p>And now....the moment you’ve all been waiting for. There were only 40 minutes on the clock, and only <em> one </em> person left to say their goodbyes. Drum roll, please! It was Huey Duck himself! Okay, I apologize for being too dramatic, but I was only trying to lighten the mood for a second!</p><p>Anyway, the said triplet closed the door behind him and slowly approached his little brothers, both hands shaking uncontrollably as his lips did the same. None of them said a word until Huey was near the edge of the bed—on Dewey’s side.</p><p>As all three boys continued staring at each other for 20 more seconds, listening to every single deep yet shaky breath, the green triplet’s face crumbled as saltwater ran down his face rapidly.</p><p>“A-Are you mad at us? You know—f-for leaving?” he squeaked, trying to stifle his hiccups. When Huey didn’t answer, Louie sobbed even more. “P-Please don’t hate us! I’m sorry! I know we screwed up, b-but — ”</p><p>The oldest triplet shook his head in disagreement as he climbed onto the bed and snuggled himself between his brothers, facing Louie and grabbing his cheeks softly.</p><p>“Shh....” he cooed while tears suddenly leaked from his own red-rimmed eyes. “I could <em> never </em> hate you—d’you understand?” he declared with intense emotion. The youngest nodded, lips still trembling slightly.</p><p>Suddenly, Huey felt someone tap his shoulder from behind. Oh shit! He almost forgot that Dewey was there too! Yep! Perks of being the middle sibling. Yay. </p><p>Turning around, Huey gazed at his immediate little brother’s glistening eyes, tears streaming from them as well. </p><p>“H-Hey Dew. Didn’t see you there,” the eldest added playfully, voice clogged with newfound tears, which made Dewey break into full-blown sobs.</p><p>“Th-That’s what I get f-for being the middle child, I guess!” he blubbered, though he was also half-laughing. Huey caressed his hair softly while wiping away some of Dewey’s tears with his sleeves.</p><p>“I love you guys—more than you’ll <em> ever </em> know,” the oldest triplet blurted out.</p><p>“W-We love you too, bro!” Louie wept.</p><p>“Y-Yeah. You better not do anything stupid while we’re gone, okay? ‘Cause I swear, I’ll haunt you from up there!” Dewey threatened him lightly, pointing upward before laughing and crying at the same time.</p><p>“I-I’ll keep that in mind, thanks,” Huey replied hoarsely. He then sat upright and held his two baby brothers close to his body. The trio alternated between making jokes, recalling their most fond memories, and laughing until there were only ten minutes left.</p><p>And that’s when it hit Huey all of a sudden. He’d <em> never </em> talk to his little brothers again. No more going on fabulous adventures together. No more celebrating housewarming parties or birthdays. No more cracking jokes together. Basically, they’d never be <em> together </em> again. Huey was about to become the sole Duck triplet, and he wasn’t ready, regardless of still having July, Nina, and Thelma to help him through it.</p><p>Louie turned to Dewey and sighed defeatedly. “Huh. Only ten minutes left. Looks like we’re on the clock now, eh Dew?” he said out loud, chuckling softly.</p><p>The blue triplet nodded. “You scared?”</p><p>“Nah,” the green triplet replied dismissively. “I <em> was</em>, but now....” He then shrugged nonchalantly and smiled.</p><p>“Me too,” Dewey said, finally accepting his fate.</p><p>Huey didn’t accept their fate, though. He couldn’t, because it was too hard to let them go, and so his face twisted in grief as he sobbed helplessly into his hands.</p><p>“Hue?” The middle triplet asked concerningly.</p><p>“N-No! I can’t—! Please don’t leave me! Please....!” the red triplet whimpered through hiccuping sobs. Suddenly, two pairs of small arms wrapped around his body.</p><p>“We’re not leaving you,” Dewey told him with absolute determination while brushing his older brother’s hair back.</p><p>“Yeah. We’ll watch over you like a hawk from up there. It’s basically payback for all the times you’ve bossed us around,” Louie added humorously.</p><p>“And besides, you know we love you, so in retrospect, we’re not <em> really </em> going anywhere,” the aspiring adventurer pointed out.</p><p>“Also, you’ll join us in like a 100 years, so you just gotta be patient. And don’t you dare die until then, got it?” the talented schemer warned him, waving his finger in a scolding manner.</p><p>“Y-You guys!” Huey sobbed out. “I’m so sorry! I-I should’ve been there!”</p><p>Dewey shook his head again. “No. I’m glad you weren’t there. Otherwise, we would've lost you too.” </p><p>“And don’t give Uncle Donald a hard time. Remember, he’s known us as much as you have, so don’t let the McDuck temper control you,” Louie reminded his oldest brother.</p><p>The Junior Woodchuck giggled tearfully. “Pretty sure I’m the one who’s supposed to look after you, not the other way around.”</p><p>“Yeah yeah. We’re just returning the favor. No need to make such a big deal about it,” the youngest replied while rolling his eyes. Before they knew it, there were just three minutes left.</p><p>“Any last words?” Huey asked shakily while wiping his nose and eyes with both sleeves.</p><p>“Um....o-one last hug?” Dewey suggested in a high-pitched voice.</p><p>The eldest nodded without a second thought as he buried his head into his blue-clad brother’s hair, wrapping his arms around Dewey’s middle. “S-Sure!” he choked out. Soon, Louie joined in, embracing Huey from the other side. All three ducklings closed their eyes.</p><p>There were 30 seconds left....then 20 seconds....then 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!</p><p>The red triplet immediately opened his eyes and found his two little brothers nuzzling their beaks into his shoulders. He turned their heads around and gasped in shock. Their eyes remained wide open as he could no longer feel his brothers’ heartbeats. Yep. Dewey and Louie were officially dead.</p><p>Huey started sobbing heavily into Dewey’s hair, planting a soft kiss on his head feathers before he let go and did the same for Louie. It was then that Scrooge, Donald, Della, and the triplet girls barged in, noticing that the younger two triplets had just flatlined.</p><p>“No....!” Scrooge exhaled while falling onto his knees, tears dripping on the floor like heavy rain. His nieces and nephew did pretty much the same thing, but at a closer proximity. </p><p>The entire McDuck family continued grieving over their deceased loved ones for the next 45 minutes until the nurses carried Dewey and Louie’s corpses away from their hospital room and into the morgue.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (27 SEPTEMBER)****</b>
</p><p>“I’m....” Dr. Featherwing was at a loss for words. For the first time, she had no idea how to offer proper condolences to her client, who also happened to be her sons’ closest friend. “I’m so sorry to hear that,” she finished sympathetically.</p><p>“I-It’s not—I’ve spent the past 40 days contemplating how things could’ve gone differently. How I could’ve prevented the explosion from happening in the first place,” Huey admitted, looking extra distraught.</p><p>“B-But I think I know a few people who really helped me get through this—even though I still need a lot more time to heal,” he added thoughtfully.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****5 WEEKS AGO (23 AUGUST)****</b>
</p><p>After the funeral was over, Launchpad drove everyone to the cemetery where Dewey and Louie were buried. Huey knelt in front of their graves, tears splashing onto the soil below.</p><p>Two hours later, the red triplet sat down on the edge of a cliff and saw two familiar figures approaching him.</p><p>“Hey,” Antonio Featherwing greeted him. God! He looked and sounded <em> exactly </em> like Dewey! His younger brother, Carmello, said the exact same thing, but he resembled Louie instead. </p><p>But perhaps that’s why they were the ones who decided to reach out to Huey just now, because he needed to hear his brothers’ voices again. He needed to see their faces again too. Except....they <em> weren’t </em> them. Antonio and Carmello were completely different people with contrasting personalities.</p><p>Antonio wasn’t adventurous or high-spirited like Dewey, and Carmello wasn’t sneaky or skeptical like Louie. In fact, they were stark opposites. Antonio was calm and introspective, whereas Carmello was bubbly and optimistic. </p><p>Their older brother Aloiso, who resembled Huey physically and vocally, was extremely flirty and daring, so basically one could determine the difference between the two personality-wise.</p><p>“Hey,” Huey replied hoarsely, rubbing his bloodshot eyes. The duo sat down on either side of him and placed comforting hands on his shoulders.</p><p>“We’re <em> so </em>sorry,” Antonio offered his condolences in the most polite way. Even then, the red duckling felt like Dewey was with him again, but it only filled a small portion of the void inside Huey’s heart. Again, Antonio <em> wasn’t </em> Dewey. He was the sensible Highland Scottish version of him, that’s all.</p><p>“We miss them too, but it’s nowhere close to what you’re feeling. God! We can’t imagine....” Carmello noted in his Highland Scottish accent, sighing despondently. He wasn’t used to feeling so many negative emotions at once. Instead, he desperately wanted to cheer up his friend, but he couldn’t.</p><p>“Th-Thanks, guys. ‘Cause I dunno how to do this,” the eldest disclosed tearfully. His little brothers’ doppelgängers circled their arms around him consolingly and rubbed his back.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (27 SEPTEMBER)****</b>
</p><p>“Well then. I’ll see you next week?” Amelia reminded him. Huey contemplated this for a moment and then nodded weakly.</p><p>“Sure. I’ll see you then. Thank you, Dr. Featherwing—for everything you’ve done for me and my family, especially Uncle Scrooge,” the red triplet thanked her.</p><p>“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Now go on. I’ll contact you if anything changes.”</p><p>“Okay. Thanks. Bye.” And with that, the oldest triplet left the room, feeling an ounce of relief in his chest. Maybe things wouldn’t get better overnight, but in time, they certainly would.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>****6 WEEKS AGO (16 <b>AUGUST</b>)****</strong>
</p><p>"Marcus, hurry up! We need to go!" Glamour reminded her son exasperatedly.</p><p>"Urgh—fine!" he replied, rolling his eyes. All of a sudden, Beaks tripped over a large wire, accidentally knocking over a lit candle that quickly spread flames. Panicking, he ran outside the janitor's closet and shut the door, hoping to contain the fire, but no success.</p><p>"Never thought I'd say this....but RUN!!" the young billionaire screamed, causing mass hysteria.</p><p>Yeah....I rest my case.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm planning on killing off other main/side characters in future chapters (a.k.a. Bentina, Webby, Gyro, Mrs. Cabrera, etc).</p><p>Other than that....yeah. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. *Astro B.O.Y.D.! (S3E6)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Instead of reverting back to Gyro Gearloose's original programming, B.O.Y.D. murders his creator without hesitation, despite being mind-controlled by Dr. Akita's override.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Again, I apologize for taking so long to update. This was a pretty long chapter to write. </p><p>Also, Gyro's the one who definitely dies in this fic.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****31 MARCH****</b>
</p><p>It was the last day of March, and Huey just made a new best friend. However, B.O.Y.D. wasn’t exactly—well—a <em> saint</em>. He did hurt people almost two decades ago back in Tokyo (Japan). But now he was different. He was <em> better</em>. The robot made a brand new best friend and saved Huey’s life. So he definitely earned a reward for that....right?</p><p>B.O.Y.D. continued flying in Gyro’s direction, planning to attack his creator. While the latter opened up his arms, hoping that his words had some sort of impact, the robot chose to ignore the chicken and ram straight into him instead. Several bones cracked, including Gyro’s spine.</p><p>Both Huey and Gizmoduck gasped in horror. <b> <em>No</em></b><em>! </em> Fenton pleaded as he abruptly stood up and scrambled over to his boss. The chief scientist’s eyes were wide open and unmoving.</p><p>“Oh my God!” Huey breathed in shock, covering his mouth before yanking out his phone and calling 119 (Japan’s national emergency number for ambulances).</p><p>“H-Hello? W-We need help!” And so the red triplet frantically explained the situation, terrified that Gyro was most likely dying from the severity of his injuries. A couple of droplets fell from the lad’s eyes as he spoke. </p><p>Meanwhile, Fenton removed his suit and hovered over the chicken’s body, praying that he was still alive.</p><p>“D-Dr. Gearloose? Hey. C-Can you hear me? It’s Fenton, y-your intern.” His voice shook as he trembled violently and held back tears. He then placed his fingers on Gyro’s neck, searching for a pulse. <em> Shit! He’s </em> <b> <em>not breathing</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>60 seconds later, three ambulances arrived as paramedics jumped out and gaped at the scene. There were holes all over Dr. Gearloose’s body, his clothes stained red with that awful stench.</p><p>“P-Please help! H-He’s not breathing!” Fenton wailed, eyes red from spilling out tears. But it was too late. The paramedics confirmed that Gyro Gearloose was dead.</p><p>“Oh God, please no!” the superhero whispered tearfully, his heart breaking over the loss of his deceased mentor. </p><p>And that’s when it clicked. Fenton would <em> never </em> see Gyro again. He’d never hear his insulting yet helpful quips whenever they’d collaborate on projects, nor his advice on how to be a better scientist. Everything they had together would eventually become a faded memory.</p><p>In the meantime, B.O.Y.D. was horror-struck. <em> What have I </em> <b> <em>done</em></b><em>?? </em> While gaping at his creator’s corpse, Huey walked up to him, teary-eyed.</p><p>“Y-You....you killed him!” he choked out while rubbing his tear-stained face.</p><p>The robot shook his head in denial. “I-I....”</p><p>“How could you?!” Huey murmured painfully before breaking down in soft sobs and hiccups. </p><p>“All this time—I <em> defended </em> you! God! It’s my fault! I should’ve listened to Dr. Gearloose’s warnings, but I didn’t. Instead, I was so convinced that you weren’t dangerous—that deep down, you were human! But I was wrong.” His voice broke, which shattered B.O.Y.D.’s robotic heart.</p><p>“B-But you said I was a real boy! That I wasn’t—! I....I didn’t mean to—! You have to believe me, Huey! I’m so sorry — ”</p><p>“<em>Sorry </em> is not gonna fix this, B.O.Y.D.! You’ve killed a living, breathing person!” the Junior Woodchuck snapped before sighing hopelessly. “Dr. Gearloose was right—you’re too dangerous. I have to shut you down.”</p><p>“N-No! Please! I-I’ll — ”</p><p>“I need you to turn around so I can access your core,” Huey deadpanned.</p><p>“Please don’t shut me down!” B.O.Y.D. begged, voice breaking.</p><p>“SHUT UP!!” the 11-year-old screamed, panting heavily in order to calm down. “Just—shut up and don’t move,” he repeated sternly.</p><p>“Huey, all I wanted — ”</p><p>“Please be quiet!”</p><p>“ — was a friend,” B.O.Y.D. concluded. Huey stopped what he was doing, staring at his ex-buddy.</p><p>“Then why did you do it?” he asked shakily.</p><p>When B.O.Y.D. didn’t respond immediately, the boy added, “All that bullshit about us being friends—was it worth it, B.O.Y.D.? Killing Dr. Gearloose? You should’ve fought against Dr. Akita’s reprogramming, but you <em> didn’t</em>! Instead, you gave in like a coward! So you know what? Go fuck yourself!” the Junior Woodchuck growled, tears of anger dripping onto the cement below. </p><p>Soon the robot’s core processors were turned off. Satisfied, Huey waited patiently for the Cloudslayer, staring numbly into space. Fenton was right next to him, weeping quietly. The superhero hastily rubbed his bloodshot eyes as the duo spotted the plane landing on an open field nearby. Launchpad came out and invited them inside.</p><p>“Did someone order a ride?” the pilot announced jokingly, not noticing Fenton and Huey’s morose expressions. Neither of them said anything as they entered the jet. It turned out, everyone else was there—Scrooge, Donald, Della, Dewey, Louie, Beakley, and Webby.</p><p>“So lads! How was Japan?” asked the billionaire, his tone chipper. Scrooge’s smile faltered once he witnessed how exhausted they both were.</p><p>“Fenton’s really tired. Is it okay if he sleeps in the back?” the oldest triplet suggested, smiling forcefully. After the old man nodded, Huey and Fenton headed towards the back of the plane and sighed loudly.</p><p>20 minutes later, the eldest heard someone sobbing softly right next to him.</p><p>Huey’s eyes widened. “Fenton? W-What is it?”</p><p>“I um....I just found out that Dr. Gearloose was going to promote me. He wanted to make me his partner—Dr. Crackshell-Cabrera,” he sniffled.</p><p>“A-All this time, I thought—I wasn’t good enough, b-but he believed in me!” Fenton added tearfully before bursting into more hiccuping sobs. At least he managed to muffle them so that no one else besides Huey would hear him.</p><p>“I-I can’t even imagine....I’m <em> so sorry</em>!” But that’s all the 11-year-old could say, because nothing would make his best friend feel better. Not now or anytime soon. Huey started rubbing Fenton’s back again, quietly shushing him while a few tears rolled down his own cheeks.</p><p>Soon, Della found both of them leaning against each other, fast asleep. She grabbed a blanket and gently threw it over the duo. While stroking Huey’s hair until it was wild like Dewey’s, Della suddenly remembered staring at Fenton’s eyes. They were chocolate brown. <em> Just like </em> <b> <em>Huey’s</em></b><em>. </em></p><p>Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted once Huey woke up groggily, noticing his mother staring at him.</p><p>“H-Hey Mom,” he croaked as the 11-year-old sat up, smiling weakly.</p><p>“Hey baby,” Della replied while caressing her son’s hair again before glancing at Fenton’s sleeping form. “How’s he doing?”</p><p>Huey turned to him too. “Still tired, I guess.”</p><p>“Hmm.” Della nodded before sitting next to her child, bringing him close. “And what about you?”</p><p>“Same,” he admitted, leaning on Della’s side and closing his eyes again.</p><p>“Alright! We’re almost there!” Scrooge yelled happily.</p><p>“Woo hoo!” Webby cheered.</p><p>“Awesome!” Dewey whooped.</p><p>“Good, ‘cause I’m beat!” Louie quipped, stretching his arms and legs while yawning exaggeratedly.</p><p>“Geez! You sound like a bear!”</p><p>“Shut up, Dewford!”</p><p>“Boys!” Donald told them warningly.</p><p>“Sorry, Uncle Donald,” both triplets apologized, slightly embarrassed.</p><p>After Fenton was dropped off and everyone returned home, Huey decided to skip dinner and head off to bed. This made Webby concerned as she tiptoed upstairs and confronted him about it.</p><p>The eldest cast her an irritated look. “Webby, just drop it, please.”</p><p>“But — ”</p><p>“I said <em> drop it</em>!” he snapped angrily and then recoiled afterwards, grimacing. “I-I’m sorry, Webs. Just—I need to be alone right now, okay? So please go.” Huey pointed towards the door. Webby sighed hopelessly and left.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****5 APRIL****</b>
</p><p>A few days later, Dewey and Louie continued secretly noting their big brother’s oddly reclusive and angsty behavior.</p><p>“Dude, he’s been like that for the past <em> four </em> days!” the blue triplet hissed. His little brother nodded before they parted ways. </p><p>A few hours later, Louie decided enough was enough.</p><p>“Okay that’s it! I’m goin’ in!” the youngest declared before barging into his own room, startling Huey in the process.</p><p>“Fuck! You almost gave me a heart attack!” the red triplet exclaimed, clutching his chest.</p><p>“What the hell, man?! Why’ve you been acting so weird lately?!” Louie almost shouted.</p><p>Huey gave him a deadpan look. “We’re done here. Now <em> leave</em>.”</p><p>The talented schemer shook his head in protest, leaving no room for argument. “Nope! Nuh uh! I’m not goin’ anywhere until you tell me what happened!”</p><p>Suddenly, the eldest stood up and slowly walked towards his baby brother with crazed eyes. “I’m giving you one last chance to leave. I’d take that advice if I were you.” Huey’s voice was incredibly menacing. </p><p>Louie’s demeanor then changed from frustrated to apprehensive. “Uh Hue? W-What are you doing?”</p><p>“How many times do I have to remind you, Llewellyn? The door’s right there.” The Junior Woodchuck gestured to the wooden door. However, the green-clad sibling refused to budge, standing by what he said earlier.</p><p>“Tsk tsk tsk. Okay—don’t say I didn’t warn you.” And before Louie knew it, Huey immediately grabbed his brother’s throat and clogged his windpipe.</p><p>“H-Hue! Stop! Y-You’re choking me!” the trickster choked out, unable to breath due to his oldest brother strangling him.</p><p>“Next time you try and tell me what to do—I want you to <em> remember </em> this moment. Got it?” he growled with extra malice.</p><p>“Let go of me! P-Please! Just let me go!” Louie pleaded, afraid that his neck would snap if Huey continued choking him. Tears began cascading down the former’s cheeks, reddening his eyes (but also ‘cause he was choking).</p><p>“You guys never listened to me before, so why should I do the same?” the red triplet pointed out while gritting his teeth.</p><p>Meanwhile, Dewey was shamelessly whistling a tune Donald used to sing when he was little. While walking towards the bedroom, he heard two people grunting. Opening the door, the blue triplet gasped and ran up to his brothers.</p><p>“Huey! Stop! You’re <em>killing</em> him!” he yelled in fear, but the eldest ignored him and continued choking Louie.</p><p>“Let go of him! Huey—LET GO!” Dewey shrieked. Again, Huey refused to listen, so the middle sibling yanked a metal souvenir from one of the drawers that fortunately resembled a frying pan. Sneaking behind Hubert, the blue-clad duckling managed to hit his head, knocking him out instantly.</p><p>Panting heavily, Dewford grabbed his baby brother’s arms and squeezed them. “Louie! Are you okay?”</p><p>Sadly, he wasn’t. The said triplet started coughing mercilessly before dissolving into endless sobs. Pressing his lips together, Dewey circled his arms around him and rubbed Louie’s back.</p><p>“Shh....” he cooed while the youngest cried into his shirt. “I won’t let him touch you ever again.”</p><p>“Th-That wasn’t him! H-Huey would never do that!” Louie spluttered through his tears. “H-He was probably mind-controlled or something!”</p><p>Dewey wondered if that was true. “Probably.”</p><p>“What in the <em> blazes </em> is going on here??!!” Scrooge bellowed from the doorway. Dewey blinked while Louie abruptly stopped crying.</p><p>“I was in the middle of a <em> very </em> important meeting, and you three just had to make a ruckus?!” the billionaire scolded them, hands on his hips before glancing at the unconscious boy lying on the floor.</p><p>“And why is Huey sleeping on the floor?? Wake him up!” Scrooge demanded hotly.</p><p>“We can’t!” Dewey objected.</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“Because he tried to <em> kill </em>Louie, that’s why!” Scrooge was taken aback by his blue nephew’s outburst.</p><p>“W-What??” he breathed.</p><p>“Yeah. Huey grabbed his neck and tried to—” Dewey cut himself off, too traumatized to recall what happened earlier. </p><p>Meanwhile, Louie’s tears resumed falling. “Dewey’s right. H-He almost choked me to death,” he added hoarsely, face scrunching up again.</p><p>Scrooge couldn’t believe it. His red-clad nephew tried to kill his <em> own </em>brother?? But why?? It didn’t make any sense! Unless....</p><p>“Mind control—of course!” he assumed. “But how?”</p><p>“D’you think it was Magica? O-Or Beaks? Or someone else who’s holding a grudge over you?” Louie inquired worriedly, Dewey’s arms still wrapped around his body.</p><p>“It’s most likely one of them, yes. However, until then—we’re gonna have to quarantine your brother for a while,” Scrooge replied sadly. He didn’t like this, and neither did his nephews, but it had to be done.</p><p>Dewey and Louie nodded solemnly, the youngest’s tears soaking his own hoodie.</p><p>“O-Okay. So what’s the plan?”</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****7 APRIL****</b>
</p><p>The McDucks finally found out a week after Gyro Gearloose’s death. Since then, the news was spreading like wildfire. In the meantime, Mrs. Cabrera was silently boiling rice on the stove.</p><p>“Pollito! Lunch is almost ready!” she announced from the kitchen.</p><p>“Not hungry, Mamá!” </p><p>His mother sighed. “Mijo, you have to eat something! I know it’s only been a week, but it doesn’t mean you should ignore your own health!”</p><p>“I told you, I’m not hungry!” he shouted from across the hall.</p><p>“Fenton, please come here!” she tried again, but retracted once she heard her son’s next choice of words.</p><p>“Mamá! I’ve been a grown man for over a <em> decade </em> now. You can’t keep telling me what to do!” Fenton retorted while walking towards the dining area.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter how old you are! I'm still your mother!” she lectured him.</p><p>“You’re unbelievable!” the superhero exclaimed, making wild gestures.</p><p>“And you’re being unreasonable!” Mrs. Cabrera snapped back, glaring at him.</p><p>“<em>I’m </em> being unreasonable?” Fenton huffed incredulously.</p><p>“Yes! You’re not sleeping! You’ve been starving yourself for the past <em>seven</em> days! What else am I supposed to do if you’re not even listening to me?” she argued.</p><p>“I don’t know! Just leave me alone! Is that too much to <em> ask</em>?!” he nearly screamed in her face.</p><p>“What would Huey say if he saw you like this?” his mother pointed out.</p><p>“How should I know? I haven’t heard from him since we got back from Japan!” Fenton struggled to catch his breath due to his latest outburst.</p><p>He took a deep breath and continued. “He’s been avoiding me ever since—the <em> incident</em>. I-I dunno whether he blames himself or me. Although it’s probably the latter.”</p><p>Except it wasn’t the latter. Huey definitely blamed himself for the incident (as well as B.O.Y.D.—until he wound up nearly choking his baby brother to death). Nevertheless, he ended up in isolation for two days.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****6 DAYS AGO (1 APRIL)****</b>
</p><p>Apparently, Scrooge and Louie were right all along. Huey <em> was </em> mind-controlled. Six days ago at around 3:00am, while the oldest triplet was still asleep, a certain spoiled rich kid snuck inside the mansion and crept into the red duckling’s bed, quietly injecting a small needle into his neck.</p><p>“If I can’t destroy you, Llewellyn—then your brother certainly can!” he cackled softly before subtly leaving the room without a trace.</p><p>Yeah! Like the police wouldn’t catch him red-handed six days later and send him to juvenile prison until he was old enough to be tried as an adult!</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****PRESENT (7 APRIL)****</b>
</p><p>“So um....am I cured?” the eldest questioned his uncle, hoping he’d say yes.</p><p>“According to the results—you are 100% cured. No question about that,” Scrooge confirmed, draping an arm around his nephew’s shoulders.</p><p>Huey let out a relieved laugh. “Oh thank God!”</p><p>“Although, next time you and Louie have a fight, try to use your words, will you?” the old man said jokingly.</p><p>The red triplet’s smile immediately turned into a frown. “Oh. Is Louie okay? How’s his neck?”</p><p>“Eh. Just a few small bruises that’ll heal in no time at all,” Scrooge revealed, not wanting his great-nephew to worry too much.</p><p>“Uncle Scrooge is right. Louie’s neck is healing pretty fast, so things are lookin’ good,” Della added with a genuine smile as she entered the quarantine area. Her oldest son, however, didn’t agree with their reassurances.</p><p>“Y-Yeah. Okay,” he murmured, eyes watering. Scrooge and Della saw this and frowned in concern.</p><p>“Lad?”</p><p>“Honey?”</p><p>Both adults placed comforting hands on his shoulders, causing Huey to break down in tears.</p><p>“I could’ve—! I-I could’ve <em> killed </em> him!” he sobbed brokenly. “I-It’s all my fault! I-I should’ve fought harder!”</p><p>“Oh sweetie! No! It’s not your fault,” Della declared, voice shaking with determination and sadness.</p><p>“Your mother’s right, lass. You had absolutely <em> no </em> control of your mind. And whoever hurt Louie—that <em> wasn’t </em> you,” Scrooge added knowingly.</p><p>Regardless, Huey disagreed. “B-But — ”</p><p>“But <em> nothing</em>. We both know you so well, and you would <em> never </em> hurt your family, no matter how bad things get,” the billionaire claimed, leaving no room for argument.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter! I was literally trapped inside my body! I couldn’t even move! Everything was so dark, a-and—! I <em> still </em> hurt him! I hurt my baby brother and I’ll <em> never </em> forgive myself for it! I-I’m too dangerous!” the eldest whimpered.</p><p>Scrooge was fuming at this point. There was no way he’d let his nephew talk so badly about himself. “You’re <em> not </em> dangerous, you hear me?” he growled while gripping the lad’s shoulders. </p><p>“You make everyone around you feel safe whenever they’re too scared or hopeless. And you’re extremely brave and selfless, just like your Uncle Donald. On top of that, you’re incredibly loving and compassionate, and would do anything to protect your family. And most of all, you would <em> never </em> hurt any of us. So don’t you <em> ever </em> say that again!” he added passionately.</p><p>Now, Huey was full-out sobbing as his bulging eyes stared at his uncle’s fiery ones. Della instantly hugged him tightly and caressed his hair in a motherly fashion. Scrooge eventually joined in, doing the same thing from behind.</p><p>“You’re not a monster or a robot, lad. And right now definitely proves that, but we never believed you were those things in the first place. No matter what, we love you more than you know,” the old man confessed.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****15 APRIL****</b>
</p><p>Despite hearing Scrooge and Della’s comforting words, Huey continued to avoid Louie as much as possible. Luckily, the youngest triplet caught on pretty quickly and decided that this time, he wouldn’t back down. After all, today was their 12th birthday.</p><p>Before Louie could confront him, however, Dewey blocked his path and asked him if this was really a good idea.</p><p>“Are you fucking serious?! Of course it is! Besides, I forgave him the <em> moment </em> it happened!” Dewey gazed at him worriedly, which made Louie even more pissed.</p><p>“Because it wasn’t <em> him </em> who did it! You know Huey was mind-controlled! He would <em> never </em> do anything to hurt our family!” Honestly, the trickster felt like slapping his middle sibling across the face, but he had to restrain himself since it <em>was</em> their birthday.</p><p>“I know Huey was cured and all. But what if—you know—him attacking you wasn’t 100% the mind control serum taking over his brain? What if the doctors missed something? I’m just saying, we can’t be <em> too </em> sure.” Dewey was certain he had a good point, but Louie didn’t want to hear it.</p><p>“You’re completely delusional, you know that?” he seethed.</p><p>“Louie, don’t insult your brother. It’s his birthday too,” Donald gently chastised him. The said triplet made a 90-degree turn and glowered at his primary guardian.</p><p>“And you shouldn’t defend him! If anything, you should defend Huey instead! <em> He’s </em> the one that actually suffered the most from all this!” Louie snapped.</p><p>While the three of them continued to argue, Huey eavesdropped on their conversation and muffled his sobs. He then sucked it up and knew what he had to do. <em> I need to leave town....</em><b><em>for good</em></b><em>. </em></p><p>35 minutes later, the eldest carried his luggage all the way to the front door, leaving a note on the coffee table. <em> Well....this is </em> <b> <em>goodbye</em></b><em>. Hopefully, we’ll cross paths again in the </em> <b> <em>afterlife</em></b><em>....if it </em> <b> <em>exists</em></b><em>. </em> With that final thought in mind, Huey shut the door behind him, leaving a saltwater trail until he arrived at the front gate.</p><p>“Huey?” Hold up! That was Fenton’s voice! Then again, this was a recorded message that he sent a few hours ago. But why now and not 15 days earlier?</p><p>“I uh—I just wanted to wish you happy birthday, ‘cause you know. Turning 12 is pretty awesome. Anyway, um—I know deep down, you blame <em> me </em> for what happened, a-and I understand why. So uh....I promise I’ll stay out of your way unless you need me. The reason I called is because I wanted to thank you for being my best friend—and uh....hope you stay safe. Thanks. Bye.” </p><p>If Huey wasn’t completely devastated before, he sure was now. The boy’s knees wobbled as he fell onto the concrete sidewalk, breaking down in hysterical sobs. On the bright side, the cab driver would arrive in 30 minutes, so he had plenty of time to collect himself. <em> I’m </em> <b> <em>so sorry</em></b><em>, B.O.Y.D.! Now I understand you </em> <b> <em>completely</em></b><em>, but it’s </em> <b> <em>too late</em> </b> <em> and I’ve made a </em> <b> <em>huge mistake</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>Meanwhile, the others had calmed down enough to agree that Huey was a victim of Doofus Drake’s mind control serum.</p><p>“So—where is Huey anyway?” Webby asked curiously.</p><p>“Huey hasn’t come down yet?” Mrs. Beakley inquired with a confused expression, to which her granddaughter shook her head. </p><p>“Mrs. B has a point. He’s usually never this late,” Della added pointedly.</p><p>“I think I know what happened to him,” Scrooge responded gravely, holding his red-clad nephew’s heartbreaking note up high. </p><p>After reading it out loud, Louie ordered everyone to start searching for his missing older brother.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****16 APRIL****</b>
</p><p>“You fucking imbeciles! I specifically damaged B.O.Y.D.’s programming, though Dr. Akita assumed it was all his doing! Now that wretched chicken doctor is finally dead! And I can get my hands on Llewellyn Duck myself! You know, since he apparently lived—unfortunately,” Doofus explained out of spite.</p><p>“So you planted the serum inside that boy’s neck, yet you were still caught??!!” Magica shrieked, threatening to dispose of him.</p><p>“And you people thought <em> my </em> plans were ridiculous!” Glomgold added exasperatedly. “Although—perhaps killin’ the lad wasn’t really necessary. I mean, if it were a kidnappin’—then I’d understand!”</p><p>“The question is—why did you mind-control Huey instead of Dewey? If I were you, I would’ve gone with the latter, because I swore I’d make Dewey Duck pay no matter what!” Don Karnage blurted out, cackling.</p><p>“I’m just saying! If my alternate self was successful in terms of killing Scrooge last year while I cast those shadows, then surely you could’ve injected his nephew with some sort of death serum. But instead, you had to make it more complicated by mind-controlling his brother! Brilliant!” Magica spat, folding her arms.</p><p>Doofus looked downward in humiliation. “Well <em> excuse </em> me! But I’m still quite new at this!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Even though Fenton's the one who grieved over Gyro's death the most, Huey also suffered in a different way.</p><p>On a brighter note, did you enjoy some of the cameos I added in the final section of this chapter? :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. *The Rumble For Ragnarok! (S3E7)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Don Karnage plans on murdering someone else close to his mortal enemy: Dewey Duck. But who could it be?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter contains a suicide attempt, so bewarned! :(</p><p>In addition, three characters are killed off. Mwahahahaha! 😈</p><p>Also, I wanted to apologize for taking so long to update this fic. I was working on two other *Ducktales* fics, so I was really focused on those and lost track of this one.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****30 AUGUST****</b>
</p><p>“Your catchphrases are forced!” One of the audience members (an adult male pig) decided to verbally attack Dewey tonight.</p><p>“That’s just how I Dewey it!” the middle triplet retaliated while Louie glared daggers at the pig who insulted his immediate big brother.</p><p>All of a sudden, an anthropomorphic dog wearing a blue sailor’s outfit topped with a black hat flung the doors open and sent two darts towards Huey and Louie respectively. Sadly, he didn’t miss as their bodies were injected with a lethal poison.</p><p>“Ha! This will show Dewey Duck that he cannot mess with the one and only <em> Don Karnage</em>!” he cackled victoriously before stepping back outside, not leaving a single trace.</p><p>Meanwhile, Huey and Louie began feeling the side-effects of this particular poison as their knees wobbled.</p><p>“T-shirts! Get your T-shirts here! Wait—why are my knees trembling? And how come there’s a dart stuck to my arm?” <em>Damn</em><em>! Now I have a </em> <b><em>headache </em></b><em>too</em><em>?? Jesus....! </em> </p><p>And before Louie knew it, he stumbled over to a nearby corner and slid against the wall, burying his face into his knees. After leaning back, he decided to close his eyes for just a few seconds and rest. But soon, those seconds turned into minutes. And suddenly....Llewellyn Duck was officially deceased.</p><p>In the meantime, Huey also felt dizzy and told Launchpad to take over the announcements. While he gladly did so, the oldest triplet dragged himself over to another dark corner and slid down it, leaning his back against the wall before his eyes shut, never to open again. Yep—so now Hubert Duck was dead too.</p><p>A few minutes later, Dewey managed to beat Jormungandr and prevent the Earth from being destroyed yet again. Yeah! As if the Moonvasion wasn’t enough! Soon, Scrooge decided to challenge his adventurous nephew to a match of their own with ‘There Goes My Hero’ playing in the background.</p><hr/><p>After today’s events finally came to a close, Scrooge and Beakley located Louie’s whereabouts while Launchpad found Huey, assuming the two were asleep.</p><p>“Urgh! Now he’s sleeping? That boy has redefined the concept of laziness!” the old man groaned while rolling his eyes. Sighing, Beakley volunteered to carry him all the way to the Cloudslayer.</p><p>“Oh there you are, little dude! It’s time to head back,” Launchpad said to Huey, unsurprisingly chipper. Thinking the 12-year-old wouldn’t budge anytime soon (more like <em> never</em>), the pilot carried his corpse until they entered the plane.</p><p>“Wait—where’s Dewey?” Beakley asked curiously. </p><p>Scrooge sighed tiredly. “He’s inside the ring with Webbigail, probably wrestling. Although I’m betting your granddaughter already won at this point.”</p><p>“Oh yes. I have no doubt about that,” Bentina agreed.</p><p>“Yo, Mr. McD! I found Huey, but he seemed pretty tired, so I brought him here myself,” Launchpad called from the entrance.</p><p>“Thata boy, Launchpad! Now all we have to do is wait for our fellow adventurers who are still inside. Bless me bagpipes! <em> What </em> is taking them so long?” The billionaire was slowly losing his patience, tapping his foot on the floor.</p><p>“I’ll just quickly grab blankets for the boys while we wait,” Beakley told them, heading towards the closet. She yanked two grey blankets from the top shelf and covered Huey and Louie with them.</p><p>Her smile soon faltered once she spotted suspicious-looking needle marks on each of their arms. Observing them more closely, the housekeeper grabbed a magnifying glass and studied those marks, gasping in shock. <em> No! It </em> <b> <em>can’t be</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>“Mr. McDuck? Can you come over here, please?” Her voice trembled as she ushered the old man towards where she knelt down.</p><p>“What is it, Beakley?” Scrooge asked, notably confused.</p><p>“You see these needle marks?” The old man nodded, also worried at this point.</p><p>“You don’t think—? I’ll check their pulses,” he said frantically while placing his fingers of Huey and Louie’s necks. Nope! No success. Assuming they were poisoned, Bentina immediately called an ambulance only to realize that there was no service right now.</p><p>“We can’t take any chances! They’ve been lethally poisoned!” she cried.</p><p>“Don’t you think I know that?! It’s not my fault there aren’t any ambulances nearby, let alone <em> no </em> service!” Scrooge was freaking out. <em> Where’s that </em> <strong><em>damn</em></strong><em> emergency medical kit</em><em>?! </em> Luckily, the housekeeper read his mind and tried to find one, except there weren’t any.</p><p>“So now what?!”</p><p>“I’ll try calling them again. See if it works this time. In the meantime, continue giving your nephews CPR,” ordered Beakley. After 45 seconds, she sighed in relief, stating that her phone service was back and the ambulance would come in less than a minute.</p><p>But once the paramedics had arrived, they declared the worst-case scenario—Huey and Louie were dead. Gone. D-E-A-D. Their time of death was about an hour earlier, while Dewey was still fighting Jormungandr.</p><p>“Sir, if you’d like us to take their corpses — ”</p><p>“No!” the old man choked out, about to burst into tears, but he’d wait until the paramedics were gone. “I’ll take them back to Duckburg—their hometown. It’s only right if they’re buried there.” They nodded and handed Scrooge the autopsy report before leaving the plane.</p><p>Finally, the billionaire couldn’t hold it in any longer as he burst out sobbing, almost hysterical. He buried his face in Louie’s hair and wept like a child. Whoever poisoned his beloved nephews with those mysterious darts (which went missing) would pay tenfold!</p><p>“If you want me to break the news to Dewey and Webbigail instead, just say the word,” Beakley said, her voice also breaking. Scrooge closed his puffy red eyes and nodded, sniffling softly.</p><p>“Hey, why were those paramedics here earlier? W-What’s going on?” Launchpad asked the housekeeper as she was exiting the Cloudslayer. </p><p>Beakley simply shook her head. “The <em> worst </em> thing imaginable,” she responded shakily before heading outside, leaving the pilot with more unanswered questions.</p><hr/><p>“Face it, Dewford! I beat you ten times in a row! So obviously, I’m the ultimate champion!” Webby cheered triumphantly.</p><p>The middle triplet scoffed. “Well—if you say so.” The girl mocked-gasped.</p><p>“How dare you, Dewford! It is <em> I </em> who won the title of ultimate champion!” she uttered in a dramatized English accent.</p><p>“Oh I beg to differ, Webbigail! But it is <em> I </em> who reclaimed that title for myself!” the boy replied in an exaggerated English accent.</p><p>While they continued laughing snobbishly, Mrs. Beakley entered the building and walked towards them with a somber expression.</p><p>“Oh hey, Mrs. B!” Dewey greeted her joyously. “We were just messin’ around.”</p><p>“Yeah. Dewey and I were arguing over who’s the real ‘ultimate champion’ of the ring,” Webby explained, giggling softly.</p><p>“I see. Well um—it’s getting late. We should head back home,” she stated flatly. At first, the duo protested, but after witnessing Beakley’s stern gaze, they gave in and followed her back to the Cloudslayer.</p><p>Gulping loudly, Bentina pointed towards the back row seats of the plane, where Scrooge, Huey, and Louie were sitting. Little did they know, though—only <em>Scrooge</em> was still alive.</p><p>“Uh....Granny, what happened? Why are you looking at us like that?” Webby asked suspiciously.</p><p>Gripping her granddaughter’s shoulders tightly, Beakley choked out, “I just want you to know—how much I love you, sweetheart. You’re looking more and more like your mother everyday.”</p><p>“Oh-kay—? Gran, you’re scaring me now. W-What’s going on?” the girl repeated, voice wavering with anticipation. Holding the autopsy report in her other hand, she slowly gave it to Webby in order to read it.</p><p>Meanwhile, Dewey approached his great-uncle carefully and noticed that he was fast asleep. Louie was in his lap while Huey rested on Scrooge’s side. Both their faces were paler than usual, their eyes closed.</p><p>“Uncle Scrooge?” The blue triplet gently nudged his uncle until he woke up, snorting while wiping his nose.</p><p>“Dewey? I-Is that you, lass?” he croaked while sitting upright.</p><p>“Yeah. Um—why is Louie sleeping on your lap?” He gestured to his little brother with an amused expression.</p><p>“Oh. Um....th-there’s something you need to know, lad.” Scrooge handed him a Xerox copy of the autopsy report as Dewey impatiently studied it. Once he was finished, the 12-year-old shook his head as his lips trembled.</p><p>“Yeah. This isn’t funny, Uncle Scrooge. Obviously, they’re pranking me for some fucked-up reason, so wake ‘em up,” he commanded. The old man didn’t budge, causing Dewey to become more agitated by the second.</p><p>“Dewey....” Scrooge uttered his name mournfully before revealing everything that happened over the past hour. Shaking his head vigorously, the middle triplet remained in denial, kneeling down in front of Huey and begging him to wake up.</p><p>“H-Hey, c’mon man, stop messing around! Wake up! <em> Please </em> wake up!” he pleaded, his voice breaking at every word. </p><p>Initially, Dewey claimed his brothers were in a comatose state, so that’s why they looked so pale and unmoving. However, Scrooge disproved his theory, displaying their arms where the needle marks were still visible.</p><p>“Stop it, you guys! It’s not funny anymore! J-Just <em> stop</em>!” Dewey resumed pleading with his brothers to open their eyes and order him to shut up. It didn’t matter to him how insulting their remarks would be. He just wanted them to say <em> something</em>—but they didn’t.</p><p>As the blue triplet continued to beg, plead, and shout in their faces, it soon led to an agonized scream. </p><p>“WAKE UP!!” Dewey proceeded to slap his brothers awake, but immediately retracted afterwards, having second thoughts. </p><p>Scrooge got up from his seat and carefully placed Louie down while making a 180° turn as soon as he was behind the middle triplet. Enclosing his arms around Dewey’s frame, the old man shushed him softly while the latter finally broke down in uncontrollable sobs and hiccups. Soon, the arteries in his eyes became visible.</p><p>Webby immediately ran towards her best friend and saw him crying hysterically, staring at his brothers’ corpses. To be honest, she didn’t look any better. Her eyes were completely bloodshot, snot escaping from her nose as she continuously wiped it away.</p><p>The Cloudslayer eventually landed in front of McDuck Manor. Launchpad was the first one to exit the plane, followed by Beakley and Webby respectively. Scrooge and Dewey were the last ones to leave, tears spilling down their cheeks.</p><p>Once Donald and Della heard the news of Huey and Louie’s death, they resolved to endless tears and bursts of anger. The sailor literally ripped apart pieces of furniture from the living room, his knees wobbling as he sat down and cried heavily into them. His sister only did the second part, holding Donald close to her as they both wept bitterly for the loss of their children.</p><p>Della soon gathered an inconsolable Dewey in her arms. Donald immediately turned around and hugged his nephew from behind, stroking his hair. A few minutes later, they delivered the news to three anxious girls over the phone.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****1 SEPTEMBER****</b>
</p><p>Two days later, Don Karnage decided to do something even more sinister. Satisfied that Dewey was suffering the loss of his two brothers, he planned on killing one more person—but who would it be?</p><p>“Ah ha! I know exactly who to target next!” he beamed, literally jumping up and down in victory. “Woo hoo!”</p><p>Four hours later, his entire crew arrived at the front gate of McDuck Manor, two of them sneaking inside the house. </p><p>“Yo Don! We gotta move fast if your plan’s gonna work!” one of the crew members reminded him, to which the captain rolled his eyes impatiently.</p><p>“Urgh! It <em> will </em> work, you imbecile! Now go!” he ordered harshly, pointing towards—gulp—<em>Webby’s </em> room.</p><p>“If she’s not dead by tomorrow morning, I will execute whoever’s responsible for the delay, is that clear?” Don threatened both his crew members in a low voice.</p><p>“Y-Yes, captain,” they stammered fearfully while quietly spitting a dart filled with the exact same poison into Webby’s neck. Soon, the trio was out of sight and back on the plane.</p><p>“We did it, everyone! Yes! Now Dewey Duck will <em> truly </em> suffer the consequences of defeating the one and only Don Karnage! Mwahahahahaha!” he squawked. Why didn’t he think of this plan sooner? He could’ve easily killed the McDuck family when Glomgold had lost the bet all those months ago, but he didn’t! So why now? Eh. It didn’t matter.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****2 SEPTEMBER****</b>
</p><p>Due to Webby’s nightmares, her grandmother had been sleeping in her room every single night, offering her comfort and protection. Unfortunately, she succumbed to the poison injected in her body a few hours back, so Webbigail Vanderquack died in her sleep.</p><p>Once Beakley woke up around 5:45am, however, she noticed that her granddaughter was abnormally pale with her eyes open.</p><p>“Webbigail? Darling, wake up,” the housekeeper begged. When Webby didn’t budge, Bentina quickly called 911 and urged them to save her....but they were too late.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Ma’am. But your granddaughter’s time of death was 11:45pm yesterday. We are so sorry for your loss. Her death was a result of a dart injection containing a fatal poison called....” To Beakley, everyone was practically speaking underwater, causing her to fall onto her knees and give an agonizing roar which woke up the entire household.</p><p>As the paramedics were leaving one by one with Webby’s corpse on the stretcher, Scrooge was the second person to witness her body before dissolving into gut-wrenching sobs.</p><p>“No! W-Webbigail! Please come back, lass! I’m <em> so sorry</em>....!” he bawled. Launchpad placed a consoling hand on his boss’s shoulder and wept bitterly for his late friend.</p><p>A few more seconds passed before Donald and Della witnessed this horrible tragedy, holding onto each other while trembling violently, tears cascading down their cheeks like a fountain.</p><p>Dewey’s reaction was the most heartbreaking. He kept screaming himself hoarse while his mom and uncle had to physically restrain him. Finally, the 12-year-old gave in and blubbered loudly.</p><p>“W-Webby!” he whimpered. Losing both his siblings was already torture, but now his best friend was gone too? Christ! When was this going to end?!</p><p>“M-My child!” Beakley sobbed, cradling her granddaughter’s favorite scarf. Dewey couldn’t take it anymore and ran into the housekeeper’s arms as they both continued their weeping fest for the next half-an-hour.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****9 SEPTEMBER****</b>
</p><p>Today was Huey, Louie, and Webby’s funeral. Apparently, Don Karnage was caught red-headed a few hours earlier by Officer Cabrera and was given a life sentence.</p><p>“Good! I hope that monster <em> rots </em> in prison for the rest of his fucking life! First, he took away my nephews and then my honorary niece??!!” Scrooge spat furiously, hastily tapping his cane on the ground.</p><p>“Someone should just shoot him with a dart and end his life,” Dewey murmured numbly, staring blankly at Huey and Louie’s coffins while his eyes remained red and his cheeks became wet. He then felt someone’s hand caressing his entangled hair.</p><p>“Dewey....” Donald muttered soothingly.</p><p>“I’m gonna take a walk,” he deadpanned before storming out the front door of the chapel, unaware that someone was following him.</p><p>Now that his brothers and best friend were gone forever, what was the point in living anymore? Perhaps the only option left was to commit suicide. <em> Yeah! Might as well just </em> <b> <em>end it</em></b><em>, right? </em> Dewey thought while leaning over the edge of the cliff nearby.</p><p>“Don’t worry, guys. I’m coming,” he whispered, about to fall—until someone grabbed his waist and pulled him back.</p><p>“L-Launchpad? You shouldn’t be here. Go back to the chapel,” the blue triplet croaked.</p><p>“Sorry, little buddy, but I can’t let you do this,” the pilot replied sadly, still holding onto his best friend.</p><p>“Yes you can. Now let me go.”</p><p>“Nope.”</p><p>“Launchpad—please let me go,” Dewey tried again.</p><p>“No can do,” Launchpad repeated.</p><p>“You have to let me do this!” the lad yelled, his voice breaking with every word.</p><p>“I’m not gonna let you go, man!” the pilot yelled back, determined to make Dewey see what he was saying.</p><p>“LET GO OF ME!”</p><p>“NO!”</p><p>And so both boys continued to wrestle until they were exhausted and far away from the edge of the cliff.</p><p>“Launchpad! Don’t you <em> dare </em> let go of him!” a female voice called from behind them. Wait, was that <em> Lena</em>?</p><p>“Good thinking, Lena! I’ll stand near the edge so that Dewey doesn’t get any ideas!” Violet suggested, doing exactly that. Meanwhile, Lena suddenly marched up to Dewford and knelt down in front of him, nostrils flaring.</p><p>“Was this your grand plan, huh?! Jumping off a fucking <em> cliff</em>?! Have you totally lost it?! WELL??!!” she screeched.</p><p>“Lena, be nice — ” Violet tried to calm her down, but Lena wouldn’t hear it as she continued fuming at the blue-clad duckling.</p><p>“Nuh uh! I’m gonna be nice, ‘cause that’s not my style!” She paused and took a few deep breaths. “It’s bad enough that I lost <em> one </em> best friend. Do not make me mourn you too, okay? Please! God, you’re such an idiot! Do you have any idea how many people still love you? And now you wanna end your life despite all that?!”</p><p>At this point, Violet and Launchpad were silently shedding tears, but Lena remained stoic and continued her rant.</p><p>“What about your uncles and your mom? Or your other family members? What are they gonna do when you’re gone, huh? You think they’ll <em> celebrate</em>?? Is that it? No! You’re wrong! They’ll grieve over you too! Jesus! You’re not the only one who’s hurting right now! You have so many others who are mourning your loved too! But as always, you’re so fucking clueless!”</p><p>Dewey instantly bowed his head in shame as newfound tears spilled from his red eyes.</p><p>“Actually, you know what? Nevermind! Do whatever the fuck you want! Kill yourself! C’mon, do it! See if I care! Just <em> go</em>!” Lena spat in his face before walking back to the chapel. Violet slowly approached Dewey and sat right next to him, giving Launchpad an understanding look.</p><p>“She didn’t mean that, Dewey. Lena’s just so angry about them leaving and....I-I miss them too. <em>Please </em> don’t end your life, Dewford. We love you too,” she told him. </p><p>“B-But um—please don’t leave us. Please don’t leave <em> me</em>,” the Senior Woodchuck begged tearfully before dissolving into heavier sobs.</p><p>“She’s right, little dude. Besides, you haven’t lost <em> all </em> your friends and family. You still have me. And Violet, Lena, your mom, your uncles, Gizmoduck, Dr. Gearloose, Manny, Li’l Helper, the Featherwings—You still have us!” Launchpad added with a sad smile. The pilot encouraged Violet to join their little group hug.</p><p>Now it was Dewey’s turn to break down in full-blown sobs for the second time today, causing Violet and Launchpad to wrap their arms around him tightly.</p><p>“I-I’m sorry!” he wept. “I love you guys! I-I just really miss them a-and....! I—I wanted to see them again! Th-That’s why I was—!”</p><p>“W-We know,” Violet murmured while resting her head on Dewey’s shoulder, arms still wrapped around his middle. This time, the latter hugged her back, bringing Violet’s head closer to his chest.</p><p>“Just uh—don’t tell my family that I tried to—you know—” he pleaded.</p><p>“Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with us—as long as you don’t do it again,” the girl promised.</p><p>“I promise. Maybe I should talk to a professional—but not today. I’ll start tomorrow,” Dewey confessed.</p><p>“Sounds good,” Launchpad agreed.</p><p>Later that day....</p><p>"He did <em>what</em>?!" Nina screeched.</p><p>"Oh <em>god</em>...." her sisters exhaled in shock.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****13 SEPTEMBER****</b>
</p><p>When Dewey entered Dr. Gearloose’s underwater lab, Fenton was already there, tinkering with a couple of screwdrivers.</p><p>“Hey Dewey,” the older duck greeted him with a despondent smile.</p><p>“Hi.” The blue triplet felt his lip tremble again, but he held back the tears—for now. <em>Nope</em><em>! I’m </em> <b> <em>not</em> </b> <em> gonna cry in front of </em> <b> <em>Fenton</em> </b> <em> too! </em>He chastised himself as he approached the superhero’s desk.</p><p>“If you’re looking for Dr. Gearloose, he’s uh—he’s currently on sick leave. But his Alternate Timeline Communicator is still active if you wanna use it.” Fenton gestured to the corresponding app on Gyro’s old Waddle phone.</p><p>“I’m actually—not ready to see ‘em yet. ‘Cause if I do, I’ll um—” Dewey’s eyes suddenly filled with tears. “I’ll fall apart,” he admitted softly. “And I don’t wanna do that anymore. Maybe in a month or so, I’ll uh—think about it.”</p><p>“That sounds fair,” the superhero replied, frowning sadly at the grieving 12-year-old. For someone who’d just lost his brothers and his best friend, Fenton predicted that Dewey wasn’t emotionally prepared to see Huey, Louie, and Webby alive and well from another timeline. It had only been a couple of weeks, so the pain was still fresh.</p><p>“Any chance that Dr. Gearloose has a—I dunno, a body revival machine or something? You know, to bring them back?” the middle triplet inquired hopefully. <em> Because I <strong>can’t </strong></em> <em>take this anymore</em><em>! I want my </em> <b> <em>brothers</em> </b> <em> back! I want </em> <b> <em>Webby</em> </b> <em> back too! It’s </em> <b> <em>not fair</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>Fenton winced guiltily. “I—I don’t think he does. Sorry, Dew. I-I wish I could help you, but—if Dr. Gearloose did come up with that idea, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it. I’d give anything to see their faces again.”</p><p>“So—d’you think we can build it? I know I don’t know a lot of science-y stuff, but I’m a quick learner. I-I can do it, I swear. I’d just need a little more time, that’s all. And Huey collected a lot of science encyclopedias and stuff, so I can skim through those....” Dewey paused once he caught a glimpse of Fenton's forlorn face.</p><p>“Actually, you know what? It’s fine. I-I know, it’s a really stupid idea. I won’t bring it up again,” he added, voice wobbling uncontrollably.</p><p>“It’s not stupid — ”</p><p>“Maybe it isn’t, but we both know it’s not <em> possible</em>—so forget I said anything, okay? Y-You can go back to doing whatever—you know. These thoughts keep swirling in my head. I-It’s not a big deal,” Dewey chortled sadly.</p><p>“Dewey....” Fenton shook his head and strolled towards the kid whose face scrunched up despite smiling. The middle triplet tried to compose himself but it didn’t work, so he gave up and cried hard.</p><p>“S-Sorry....I-I just don't wanna be alone anymore!” Dewey wept as the superhero embraced him firmly, running his fingers through the kid's wild hair.</p><p>“It’s okay,” the older duck shushed him softly. “I promise, you'll <em>never</em> be alone.” Now Fenton was shedding tears too, the saltwater wetting Dewey’s head.</p><p>Even though Fenton had lost his own son....figure, Huey wasn’t truly gone. His memories would remain forever. But then the superhero realized Dewey had suffered a greater loss. Both his brothers and best friend were dead. So Fenton swore he’d be there for this wonderful 12-year-old boy who was still alive and breathing.</p><p>Pulling back a little, the superhero held the boy’s face and flashed a warm smile, studying Dewey’s scarlet eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Since he didn’t have Huey anymore, he thought about spending more time with his little brother instead. And besides, Dewey had a lot of creative and scientific potential, so why not? They’d make a great team!</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****29 AUGUST (15 DAYS AGO)****</b>
</p><p>“Psst! Guys, wake up!” Dewford hissed loudly, causing Huey and Louie to open their eyes groggily and glare at him.</p><p>“What, Dewford? I’m trying to sleep here!” Llewellyn complained while whispering.</p><p>“Yeah, go back to bed!” Hubert scolded him.</p><p>“Scrooge said we’d go on another mystery quest tomorrow, but for some reason, he doesn’t want Mom or Uncle Donald to come,” Dewey mentioned with a confused expression.</p><p>“You’ve got a point, Dew. They should come with us. It’ll be fun!” Huey exclaimed in agreement.</p><p>“Or maybe Uncle Scrooge is afraid that Uncle Donald will murder him if he finds out where we’re going. It’s the only explanation,” Louie pointed out.</p><p>“Seriously! Uncle Donald needs to relax and trust us more. I mean, it’s not like anything <em> bad’s </em> gonna happen while we’re gone!” the middle triplet added frustratedly.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oh no! The McDucks lost Huey, Louie, AND Webby??!! OMG, I truly am evil! 😈</p><p>Also, I wanted to write a chapter where Mrs. Beakley would also lose someone extremely close to her, and Webby was the perfect choice.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. *The Other Bin of Scrooge McDuck! (S1E19)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After sending Tenderfeet back to his home in the woods, instead of returning to the mansion, Louie realizes he forgot something and goes back to get it.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The previous chapters were all written as third-person narratives. Now I'm jumping into first-person POVs too, so I hope you enjoy this one! :)</p><p>Also, I'm jumping back to episodes in Seasons 1 and 2 that I haven't written for yet because now I've come up with more death scenarios.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>LOUIE DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****1 MARCH****</b>
</p><p>Thank god Tenderfeet (Gavin) was gone! But alas, I was proven wrong once I heard him sneak up behind me with a large knife in his hand. The end was extremely sharp, which made me shudder a little.</p><p>Minutes ago, after I explained my new business plan (Louie’s Kids), I told Huey I forgot something in the woods. But now I regretted that decision. <em> Man! I </em> <b> <em>shouldn’t</em> </b> <em> have gone </em> <em>alone</em><em>! </em></p><p>“Any last words, <em> Llewellyn</em>?” Gavin seethed.</p><p>“What the fuck are you talking about?” I shot back, slightly confused. Next thing I knew, I felt a sharp pain in my back and soon everything turned black.</p><p>Afterwards, I had an out-of-body experience as my ghost lingered over my real body. <em> Holy crap! I’m </em> <b> <em>dead</em></b><em>?! But </em> <em>how</em><em>?! And </em> <em>why</em> <em> is there a </em> <b> <em>DT-87 robot</em> </b> <em> hovering over us? </em></p><p>Well—it turned out I was stabbed to death from behind. Wow! What a great way to die....ish. Too bad my family would mourn me soon. Anyway, it was time for me to cross over. <em>Goodbye</em><em>, real world—and </em> <b> <em>hello</em> </b> <em> heaven! </em></p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>HUEY DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****SAME DAY****</b>
</p><p>I couldn’t believe Tenderfeet had to go back to the woods! It was so unfair! But of course, my youngest brother was <em>ecstatic</em> about his departure. Typical Louie! Whatever! It’s not like he’d make a best friend anytime soon! And besides, those were obviously crocodile tears. I mean—what was I, an idiot?</p><p>“Relax, Hue! At least Louie won’t try to mess with us anytime soon!” Dewey tried to lift my spirits, which kinda worked.</p><p>“Thanks,” I murmured, smiling a little. He patted my shoulder lightly as we entered the mansion.</p><p>A few hours passed, but Louie hadn’t returned home yet.</p><p>“Hey Uncle Scrooge, have you seen Louie anywhere?” I finally decided to ask.</p><p>“Unfortunately no, I haven’t,” he replied warily. “Why? D’you think he’s gone missing?” he added jokingly.</p><p>“What? No! I was just—nevermind!” I folded my arms while pouting, which made Uncle Scrooge laugh.</p><p>“I’ll go look for him,” Uncle Donald volunteered before leaving the house.</p><p>A few more minutes had passed before the rest of us heard a horrifying scream coming from outside. <em> What the—</em><b><em>Uncle Donald</em></b><em>?? </em></p><p>“Bless me bagpipes! Kids, follow me!” With that, Uncle Scrooge led the rest of us out the front door and near the entrance to the backwoods. There, we saw something that made me sick to my stomach. </p><p>Uncle Donald was crying softly while cradling my green-clad brother whose jacket was stained with blood. Apparently, Louie had been stabbed in the back and lost a lot of fluids. His face was paler than usual and all his organs had stopped functioning several hours ago.</p><p>Tearing up myself, I frantically told my uncle to call 911, but he said it was too late. Louie was <em> gone</em>. My baby brother was dead and he wouldn't miraculously return. This wasn’t just some horrible nightmare. It was <em> real</em>. This was actually happening, and could <em>never</em> be undone.</p><p>I turned to my other little brother (now my <em> only </em> brother) who bawled his eyes out as he fell on his knees. Dewey blurted out repetitive apologies and said <em> no </em> multiple times. Uncle Scrooge brought him in a tight embrace and tried to shush him quietly.</p><p>Mrs. Beakley covered Webby’s eyes while she cried uncontrollably for her best friend—my baby brother. God! I couldn’t believe Louie was gone! I wanted him back <em> so </em> bad it hurt, but like I said before—it was too late.</p><p>Soon, the ambulances arrived and carried Louie’s corpse all the way to the morgue.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>DEWEY DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****2 MARCH****</b>
</p><p>Once I woke up, I assumed last night was an awful nightmare and Louie would sleep in like he always did on weekends (and pretty much everyday in general). Unfortunately, it wasn’t a dream. Last night was real, and Louie was really dead.</p><p>That’s when the waterworks started again, because what was the point now? My little brother was gone forever, so yeah—of course I was gonna cry all day and stay in bed until noon, not bothering to get up! Besides, I lost my appetite anyway.</p><p>Seemed like Huey had the exact same plan, since he practically looked like a zombie, eyes red and puffy from sobbing all morning. Was this how life was gonna be now? The two of us crying our eyes out for days on end?? Forget days! More like weeks!</p><p>Jesus, I couldn’t take it anymore! I had to get outta bed and do something. Anything to take my mind off of Louie’s demise. But who was I kidding? I couldn’t do this! I had to get him back! Somehow....and I knew exactly who to contact!</p><p>“Hello? Oh hi, Mrs. Cabrera! Sorry—I actually need to talk to your son, Fenton. I-Is that okay?” I asked nervously.</p><p>“Of course you can, mijo! I’ll go get him, just a second!” she replied in the sweetest tone I’d ever heard. Man! I wish I had <em>my</em> mom, but she just had to go missing!</p><p>“Y-Yes. Hi, this is Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera. How can I help you?” His voice cracked a bit over the phone, which was really annoying. <em> Uncle Scrooge </em> <strong><em>needs</em></strong> <em> to get rid of his </em> <em>landline</em><em>! </em></p><p>“Hi, this is um—this is Dewey Duck. You probably don’t remember me, but uh — ” I stammered. <em>Stop</em> <em> acting <strong>weird</strong>! It’s </em> <b> <em>Fenton</em></b><em>, not </em> <em>Dr. Gearloose</em><em>! </em></p><p>“Oh yeah! Of course I remember you! Huey’s your brother, correct?” Fenton cut me off. I told him yes as we continued our meaningful conversation.</p><p>“I-I’m not sure if reviving your brother can be done, but there is a possible way to communicate with him, i-if that’s what you’re aiming for,” he replied hesitantly.</p><p>At first, I was disappointed and almost hung up in frustration, until Fenton had mentioned the last part. <em> Wait—there’s a way to </em> <em>actually </em><strong><em>communicate</em></strong> <em> with Louie?? That’s </em> <b> <em>so cool</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>Feeling overwhelmed all of a sudden, I answered shakily, “Oh thank God! ‘Cause I’ll do anything to see my baby brother’s face again!”</p><p>Pausing for a moment, I finally added, “So uh—what is it?”</p><p>“Let’s just say it involves a whole lot of quantum mechanics....” Fenton started telling me.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>SCROOGE MCDUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****SAME DAY****</b>
</p><p>I barely knew my great-nephews for five months, but the pain of losing Louie was still raw in my chest. It burned more than a thousand suns—or whatever the saying was. Anyhow, I don't do clichés. Let’s just say it hurt even more than losing Della.</p><p>God! Why did I build that stupid rocket in the first place?! Then none of this would’ve happened! Della wouldn’t have disappeared, and Louie would have still been alive, making countless sarcastic remarks that would drive me mad!</p><p>Donald, however, was a blubbering mess. He left tears all over his mattress and pillows, sobbing Louie’s name every now and then. It broke my heart to see him so distraught, something I hadn’t seen since the day he packed his bags and left the house for good.</p><p>Back then, my nephew screamed in my face before sobbing uncontrollably, holding Della’s eggs close to his heart. I wanted to cry with him, but he dismissed my attempts to comfort him. Instead, I stood there and watched him weep like a child for the next several minutes.</p><p>But this time was different. Donald was a parent now. He still had two other nephews who needed him more than anything. Yet between that and crying himself sick, I didn’t know how to help him. It was all too much and I wanted to wallow in my own grief first.</p><p>Perhaps it was selfish, but that’s all I could do right now. I didn’t want to do anything else other than drown my sorrows in tears and alcohol. <em> Maybe that’s all I’m </em> <b> <em>good for</em> </b> <em> anyway. Might as well <strong>join</strong> the lad </em> <em>soon</em><em>, right? One bottle of </em> <em>whiskey</em> <em> for </em> <b> <em>each failure</em> </b> <em> should do the trick. </em></p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>HUEY DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****3 MARCH****</b>
</p><p>36 hours after Louie’s untimely death, I was still a fucking mess. Every time I’d stare at myself in the mirror, my eyes would remain bloodshot and swollen from the tears. I hated myself for not staying strong, for not being the supportive nephew or big brother I was <em>supposed </em> to be. Yet I couldn’t help myself.</p><p>In other news, what the hell was Dewey up to anyway? Yesterday morning, he was upset like I was, but today? He was oddly chipper. Why was he so happy all of a sudden? We just lost our baby brother and Dewey was <em> smiling</em>! Or maybe he completely lost his sanity, who knows?</p><p>But I had to distract myself <em> somehow</em>. Otherwise I’d go crazy too. And I couldn’t handle anxiety on top of grief and depression. It was just too much. So I decided to do a fair bit of cleaning around the house, starting with my bedroom.</p><p>While gathering dust from under Louie’s bed, I noticed strands of dark brown fur....<em>Wait a second! Is it <strong>Tenderfeet’s</strong>?? Oh my God, it <strong>is</strong>!</em></p><p>Then I remembered after saying goodbye to him, Louie walked back to the forest because he forgot something....so maybe Tenderfeet heard something! </p><p>He must’ve been a witness—at least I hoped he was. Then we would’ve been able to catch my baby brother’s killer before it was too late! That creature was out there—<em>lurking</em>. And then <em> wham</em>! Louie was instantly stabbed in the back.</p><p>Obviously this was all speculation, but still! I had to make <em> some </em> sense of this because it was driving me insane! Louie’s murderer continued roaming the streets and I had to make sure that monster would get arrested asap! But how?</p><p>“Tenderfeet? I need to ask you a few questions. Don’t worry. All you have to do is nod or shake your head, okay?” I asked him gently. He seemed pretty edgy after hearing what I said, but I was too determined to notice.</p><p>While I continued with my interrogation, I noticed dark red spots in his fur. <b> <em>What the</em></b><em>—? </em> At first, I assumed I was seeing things, but now it was sort of clear what happened that night.</p><p>“So you <em> did </em> see Louie’s attacker! He must’ve hurt you too, right? Oh you poor thing!” I added, pouting sympathetically at my injured friend—or so I thought. What I found out next was even more shocking and frankly disturbing.</p><p>I spotted a sharp blade buried under a bed of grass. It was stained red and had brown fur all over it. Little did I know that a DT-87 robot was hovering over us, scanning the weapon.</p><p>“Fur sample matches Tenderfeet/Gavin. Blood sample matches Llewellyn Duck. According to my sources, it was Tenderfeet who attacked Llewellyn two nights ago. I have video evidence,” the bot revealed in its monotone voice.</p><p>I was too stunned to speak, and so DT-87 played the video. After it finished, all I saw was red. This whole time, one of my closest friends was a sociopathic murderer who slaughtered my baby brother without mercy.</p><p>“<em>You</em>!” I growled in a low voice, pointing directly at my former friend who was now my sworn enemy for life. “You k-killed my—!” I couldn’t bear to finish my own sentence, too choked up to speak.</p><p>“H-How could you? I-I....we <em> trusted you</em>! Dewey and I both trusted you with our <em> lives </em> a-and you j-just—!” Now I was fully crying, saltwater flowing down my face like a waterfall.</p><p>Tenderfeet was about to respond —</p><p>“Huey?” I heard Dewey calling my name. Turned out, my brother had no idea what was going on because he just arrived. And he seemed extremely confused.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>DEWEY DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****SAME DAY****</b>
</p><p>I was about to meet with Fenton and Dr. Gearloose to discuss inventing an alternate timeline communicator within the next few months or so. That way, I’d be able to talk to my little brother from other timelines. Ones where he was still <em> alive </em> and annoyingly sarcastic.</p><p>“Don’t worry, Lou. I’ll see you soon,” I whispered while sniffling a bit. Barely two days in, and thinking about Louie still brought tears to my eyes. But I didn’t wanna cry anymore. Not when there was still hope of seeing him—even if it wouldn’t be <em> my </em> Louie.</p><p>My feet abruptly came to a halt once I heard someone familiar screaming inside the forest across from the mansion. That voice had belonged to my big brother, but why in the world was he yelling? Maybe he reached the anger stage, who knew? </p><p>As soon as I entered the woods, I spotted him bawling his eyes out while glaring daggers at—<em>Tenderfeet</em>? I didn’t understand! What did <em> he </em> do? And what about the DT-87 robot hovering over them? And why was there a knife coated with—urgh! It made me sick just looking at it!</p><p>“D-DT-87! P-Play the video!” my brother stuttered through his tears.</p><p>“Accessing video regarding Llewellyn’s demise,” the bot announced before I saw the whole thing. <b> <em>No</em></b><em>! Tenderfeet would </em> <b> <em>never</em></b><em>—but he </em> <em>did</em><em>! And it’s all </em> <b> <em>my fault</em> </b> <em> for trusting him! </em> <em>All</em> <em> this time, Huey and I have befriended a </em> <b> <em>bloodthirsty monster</em></b><em>! So Louie was </em> <b> <em>right</em> </b> <em> not to </em> <em>trust him</em> <em> in the </em> <b> <em>first place</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>That’s when I knew what to do. After letting the scientists know I'd be super late, I phoned Uncle Scrooge and told him to come outside.</p><p>“Lad, I’m here. Did something happen?” Uncle Scrooge asked tenderly, voice laced with concern. </p><p>I then ordered DT-87 to show him the video Huey and I had just watched. Afterwards, my great-uncle was <em> livid</em>. I’d never seen this angry before, but it was amazing! Now Tenderfeet (a.k.a. Gavin) was a dead man!</p><p>“You—killed—my—boy!” the old man growled threateningly, pointing at the monster standing awkwardly in front of us.</p><p>Tenderfeet suddenly scoffed. “Because that kid was <em> so </em>annoying, that’s why. If anything, I did you guys a favor!” he reasoned.</p><p>“YOU FUCKING PSYCHOPATHIC PIECE OF SHIT!!” Uncle Scrooge bellowed.</p><p>Gavin grinned maliciously and tried strangling my uncle to death. But thank fuck he didn’t win! Uncle Scrooge managed to defend himself and choke that monster until the guy no longer had a pulse.</p><p>We all sighed in relief until Huey buried his face in my chest and wept like a little kid again, moaning Louie’s name repeatedly until he couldn’t talk anymore. His eyes remained bloodshot as tears and snot stained my long-sleeved shirt.</p><p>It was heartbreaking seeing my big brother so vulnerable and broken, seeking comfort from the only brother he had left, which was <em> me</em>. And so I wrapped my arms around Huey and brought him closer, shushing him quietly.</p><p>“It’s over, Hue. Tenderfeet is gone for <em>good</em>. We’ll never see that sociopathic fuck <em>ever</em> again,” I told him consolingly while stroking his hair.</p><p>“I-It’s all our fault! W-We should’ve t-trusted Louie when he tried to tell us, but we didn’t <em>listen</em>! And that’s why he died!” Huey sobbed.</p><p>“I know. But Louie’s death <em>wasn't </em>our fault, okay? I promise we’ll get through this. We won't let our grief win forever, ‘cause that’s not what Louie would’ve wanted,” I cooed.</p><p>“I love you,” my brother murmured tenderly, keeping a tighter hold around my body.</p><p>I flashed him a watery smile while briefly kissing his forehead. “I love you too.”</p><p>“L-Let’s go home, boys. We need to report him to the authorities, dead or not,” Uncle Scrooge told us mournfully before heading back to the mansion.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>GYRO GEARLOOSE’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****SAME DAY****</b>
</p><p>“Urgh! What now, Cabrera? I’m busy!” I snapped. Jesus! Why couldn’t my intern leave me alone for <em> once </em> in my life??</p><p>“I just wanted to know if you made a decision about the—you know,” Cabrera asked curiously, waiting patiently for my answer.</p><p>Sighing exasperatedly, I replied, “Yes, intern! We’re going to build a device that allows us to communicate with people from other timelines! Happy?”</p><p>That's the confirmation my intern needed in order to perform his little victory dance.</p><p>“Seriously? Do you mind celebrating <em> later</em>? We’ll start on that project in about a couple of months or so. In the meantime, we still have important work to do. So allons-y! Or—whatever the French saying is!” I exclaimed irritably.</p><p>“Y-Yeah, sure. Sorry about that, Dr. Gearloose. I-I was just really excited, that’s all,” Cabrera explained sheepishly.</p><p><em> Urgh! </em> <b> <em>What</em> </b> <em> am I gonna </em> <b><em>do </em></b><em>with you</em><em>, Cabrera? </em> I sighed defeatedly before grabbing my toolbox.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>There's one more Season 1 episode I want to write for next before diving into Season 2 episodes I've skipped. Till then, feel free to re-read this chapter and the previous ones as well for more context. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. *The Last Crash of The Sunchaser! (S1E22)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After hearing about Della's disappearance, everyone leaves McDuck Manor out of anger and disgust. Due to this, Scrooge falls into a deep depression and successfully commits suicide. What will happen once the others find out?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>All I can say is that Donald Duck has a more significant role in this chapter.</p><p>Enjoy! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>SCROOGE MCDUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****3 APRIL****</b>
</p><p>“I hope you’re happy,” Beakley concluded sarcastically before she and Webbigail left the mansion. </p><p>After remembering what really happened when Della had stolen the Spear of Selene and disappeared, I slumped against my armchair as tears started flowing from my eyes at a gradual rate.</p><p>“I am!” I growled, lips firmly pressed together as I tasted the saltwater with my tongue. </p><p>Five minutes later, I intentionally pierced one of my sides with a sharp blade and screamed loudly. Knowing that I just lost my family all over again and would never be wanted or forgiven, I thought—what was the <em> point </em> anymore? So I decided to end it once and for all, but it had to be slow and painful.</p><p>I quickly yanked it out, moaning in pain. Grabbing a thick piece of cloth in order to stem the blood flow, my hands trembled as I grabbed the landline and called 911. Though I knew I was dying, I didn’t want anyone to know I attempted suicide.</p><p>“Hello, this is 911. What’s your emergency?”</p><p>“I uh—I think I accidentally stabbed myself a few minutes ago, a-and now I’m currently losing a lot of blood....I-I’m feeling’ dizzy....I-I can’t move—” I half-lied. And suddenly, I fell down with a <em> thud</em>. My vision turned black as my eyes ceased to open again. Seemed like I got my wish after all.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>DONALD DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****4 APRIL****</b>
</p><p>For the past 24 hours, I consistently ignored calls from everyone who wasn’t Mrs. Beakley or Launchpad. Perhaps they had their own issues with Uncle Scrooge as well. Oh boy! Anyway, I had to distract myself from all that. </p><p>This was going to be a fresh start! My boys and I would move somewhere, <em>far away </em> from Duckburg. A new beginning for all four of us. Bless me bagpipes! Oh wait. That phrase belonged to Uncle Scrooge, so I didn’t dare say it out loud, especially in front of the boys.</p><p>Honestly, I had mixed feelings towards our current situation. I couldn’t bear seeing my boys incredibly betrayed by their great-uncle keeping a devastating secret from them (and me almost 11 years ago). But maybe it was time to put things to rest and move on.</p><p>“Uncle Donald, your breakfast is getting cold! Come and eat with us!” Huey called from the dining area in our houseboat. Before I did so, the phone rang loudly. Sighing, I decided to answer it, regardless of who it was.</p><p>“Hello? Yes, this is Donald Duck. Why are you calling me?” I questioned them tiredly. </p><p>After hearing everything they told me, I shook violently without making a single sound or shedding any tears. At the same time, I tried really hard not to drop the phone.</p><p>It was then I realized—Uncle Scrooge was <em> dead</em>. Not like last time when he was dead to <em> me</em>, but actually 100% dead as in no longer<em> alive</em>. </p><p>I couldn’t bear to move or speak. Was I living in a frozen hell right now? Because this couldn’t have been possible. Uncle Scrooge was just playing a horrible prank on me, that’s why! Right? There couldn’t have been another explanation! </p><p>But tragically, that wasn’t the case. The paramedics were right. Uncle Scrooge had died and they were currently working on his autopsy report. For some reason, it was taking more time than expected.</p><p>Suddenly, Huey snapped me out of it and asked why I wouldn't come for breakfast. I then told the boys about running some errands first.</p><p>“Sure you don’t want me to come with you?” my red-clad nephew offered, having no clue what I was up to.</p><p>Smiling gratefully, I replied, “No, it’s fine. I’ll call Mrs. B and tell her to stay with you boys for a little while.” Huey nodded before I phoned Mrs. Beakley and then drove to the morgue.</p><p>Soon, I went in and demanded solid proof that my uncle was truly deceased. They led me to a room and uncovered the white sheet dieners used to maintain corpses. Yep, it was definitely Scrooge McDuck. Then they handed me an autopsy report before closing the door, respecting my privacy.</p><p>“So—you’ve chosen the suicide route!” I then blurted out stuff out of grief, anger, and overwhelming despair. I discussed the Spear of Selene which led to Della’s disappearance as well as my parents’ untimely death. That’s when the tears finally came and wracked my entire body.</p><p>“H-How could you ever think I-I wanted you <em> dead</em>—huh? W-Why would you kill yourself? H-How could you just leave me like that? Huh? Answer me!” I nearly screamed before the sobs returned.</p><p>“I-I should’ve <em> known </em> how depressed you were when I was gone! I-I should’ve stayed and helped you deal with the pain, b-but—! I was so<em> angry</em>! I blamed you for everything but I failed to realize how much you had missed her too! And you still did! I-I....” I paused and took a deep, calming breath.</p><p>“I <em>don’t</em> hate you. I could never hate you b-because you’re family! The boys don’t despise you either. They’ll come around, don’t worry. And um—I should’ve told you h-how much I love you! I-I never said it enough a-and now it’s too late!” I added mournfully.</p><p>Sniffling, I had to conclude my rant before the boys and Mrs. B would suspect why I was gone for so long. </p><p>“I-I’ll never stop loving you, Uncle Scrooge. A-And I hope you’re at peace now. Goodbye.” With that, my face scrunched up again as I left the building and drove back home. But I couldn’t reveal anything to the boys—not yet.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>LOUIE DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****5 APRIL****</b>
</p><p>Yesterday, Uncle Donald was unusually quiet and withdrawn, especially with us. But maybe it was due to everything that happened thanks to that old miser! <em> Well </em> <b><em>fuck </em></b><em>him</em><em>! </em> No wonder Uncle Donald was in a weird mood lately!</p><p>Today, he tried avoiding the subject whenever we complained about Scrooge McSellout. Why didn’t he want to join in? Frankly, it was incredibly satisfying and therapeutic for us, but for Uncle Donald? Perhaps it wasn’t. Or maybe he just wanted to forget about everything and move on. </p><p>Maybe that’s what we had to do. We needed to move far away from Duckburg and somewhere more remote—like Camp Suzette! Yeah! My brothers and I were gonna tell him tonight! Woo hoo!</p><p>“Uncle Donald! Boy, do we have some news for you!” I told him ecstatically. “We should totally go to Camp Suzette!”</p><p>“What?!” my uncle exclaimed, almost spitting out his drink.</p><p>“Louie’s right. We need to get outta here and explore brand new territory,” Dewey pointed out while shrugging.</p><p>“Technically, it’s not <em> brand new</em>. It’s been there for several decades.” Oh Huey, ever the fact-checker in our family. Well good for him!</p><p>“Whatever!” Dewey grumbled, which made me smirk.</p><p>“Um....I-I’ll think about it and let you know tomorrow, okay? But now, I really need to sleep. So uh—g’night,” Uncle Donald said hastily before rushing to his bedroom and closing the door.</p><p>“Anyone else think Uncle Donald’s acting — ”</p><p>“Yep, but it’s probably ‘cause of stress. Maybe he’s looking for a new job,” Huey predicted.</p><p>“Uh huh,” Dewey agreed.</p><p>I was surprised by my brother’s reactions. “Oh! Well um—I guess my work here’s done.” Shrugging, I got up and headed towards our bedroom to change.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>DONALD DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****6 APRIL****</b>
</p><p>Today, I received a confession tape from one of the active DT-87 robots and played it. Apparently, Uncle Scrooge had spent several years trying to search for Della, which cost him <em> two thirds </em> of his total earnings. This revelation made me sick to my stomach. </p><p>I was so wrong about everything! And what did I do? I cut him out of my life completely! I made him feel worthless and depressed and so alone! It was all <em>my</em> fault! <em>I</em> drove him to suicide! I was the monster who killed my uncle! </p><p>How could I have done this? Why was I so fucking angry? Why couldn’t I control my temper at the time? Why did I blame Uncle Scrooge for Della’s—?! I-I just....<em>why</em>?? Why did he have to leave me and stab himself with a fucking blade?! Why did he kill himself?? It wasn’t fair! Uncle Scrooge didn’t deserve to die! </p><p>But now he was gone—just like that. He got his wish. He was forced to stop his search for Della after the trial was over, which made him even more depressed and reclusive. Despite his lawyer doing everything she could to help him win, they lost—because of <em> me</em>. It was my word against his, and I didn’t even realize it back then—because I was too livid to notice.</p><p>“Stupid fucking idiot!” I hissed, slapping my forehead multiple times before dinner was served. Luckily, no one else was paying attention to me. But honestly, I felt like throwing up.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>HUEY DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****SAME DAY****</b>
</p><p>Looking for a new <em> job</em>? Yeah right! I was glad Louie had noticed Uncle Donald’s odd behavior recently. He’d been like that for the past two days. Now it was my turn to find out what was going on. But how would I confront him? It wasn’t gonna be easy. I had to be stealthy and sharp as a tack.</p><p>However, my plan didn’t go accordingly since Webby and Launchpad had something more ‘important’ planned. I mean, seriously?? A <em> goodbye </em> dinner? It wasn’t like we’d never see each other again! Webby promised she’d visit us at Camp Suzette after we moved.</p><p>Anyway, Mrs. Beakley came in and offered us a feast of her own, topped with a yummy dessert (which turned out to be Scrooge’s favorite). She then started guilt-tripping us into forgiving our so-called great-uncle. Frankly, it was working, at least for me.</p><p>A few seconds in, that’s when Uncle Donald’s body began trembling violently before running out of the room and leaning against the edge of our houseboat. I volunteered to check on him, leaving the others stunned and worried.</p><p>“Uncle Donald? What is going—oh my god!” I gasped loudly. He threw up almost everything he ate and continued retching afterwards, but that wasn’t all. Uncle Donald started sobbing heavily, tears cascading down his face and soaking his uniform. His eyes turned incredibly red too.</p><p>“Please, Uncle Donald! Y-You’re scaring me! What happened? What’s wrong?” I demanded frantically, voice wobbling with anticipation. Something horrible must’ve happened, right? My uncle wouldn’t have cried so much otherwise.</p><p>Handing him a clean napkin to wipe his mouth, Uncle Donald responded shakily, “H-He’s <em> gone</em>! H-He killed himself and it’s all my fault! For years, he did everything he could to save your mother, b-but he was forced to shut down his search for Della after the trial — ”</p><p>“Who are you talking about? W-What <em> trial</em>? And what d’you mean he spent <em> years </em> trying to search for Mom? W-Who—?” And that’s when it clicked. Uncle Donald was talking about—no! But it couldn’t—! Oh my god, it <em> was</em>!</p><p>“You’re not saying....” I couldn’t wrap my head around it, but I needed to hear my uncle say it first.</p><p>“I’m so sorry, Huey—but it was Uncle Scrooge,” he choked out. Before I could process it, he continued. “We were—I was <em> so wrong </em> about what really happened. After I left, he spent the next few years searching for your mom, but was forced to stop looking despite his protests....” </p><p>And so Uncle Donald revealed everything up to the never-ending trial, deciding whether or not Scrooge had to permanently stop his search, which he unfortunately lost. The sailor also mentioned giving his own statement (by using a webcam, since he wasn’t physically in the U.K.) that accidentally helped the opposite side win.</p><p>“And that’s not all. According to DT-87, Uncle Scrooge told Della to turn away from the cosmic storm that was approaching, but she insisted on going towards it. So it was <em>her </em>decision, not his,” he concluded gravely.</p><p>“I uh....” Gulping loudly, I was speechless. Everything was literally spinning, so I could barely move. After a minute, I asked Uncle Donald to show me his corpse in order to prove this was all real.</p><p>“I will, but your brothers need to know this too, so all of us will go.” Nodding in agreement, I followed him back inside the boat where everyone was waiting for us.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>DEWEY DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****SAME DAY****</b>
</p><p>“Hey Uncle Donald, what took you so long? Are you sick? I thought I heard you throwing up earlier. Louie and Webby did too,” I told him.</p><p>“I tried guilt-tripping your nephews even further, but Dewey remains resilient while Louie’s starting to think about it,” Mrs. Beakley sighed defeatedly.</p><p>“I didn’t say I <em> wasn’t </em> considering it. I just said it’s too late now. Besides, it’s best if we all cut ties with him. Maybe it’ll be better in the long run,” I pointed out nonchalantly. To my disappointment, Uncle Donald wasn’t really listening and neither was Huey.</p><p>“Kids, Mrs. B, Launchpad—I um....th-there’s something you need to know. And before I say it, I-I just want to say—it’s <em> not </em> your fault. If anything, it’s mine,” he announced despondently. Wait <em> what</em>?! What the hell was he talking about??</p><p>“Yesterday, a DT-87 bot came up to me and displayed a message Uncle Scrooge recorded the day when the Sunchaser crashed.” Okay—now I was eager to hear more, despite being slightly pissed off with the old man for what he did to Mom.</p><p>“On his will, he said....committed suicide by stabbing himself on his side with a blade....a copy of the autopsy report in my hand....lost the trial badly, so he was forced to end his search for your mom....” </p><p>Once Uncle Donald was done with his explanation, the rest of us remained silent. We were paralyzed with mixed emotions, mostly shock and uneasiness. It was too much to process. </p><p>“So all this time, Uncle Scrooge did everything in his power to save Mom and we <em> blamed </em> him??” I suddenly blurted out, still perplexed. Louie and Webby thought the exact same thing. Mrs. Beakley and Launchpad did as well. Huey wore an unreadable expression, so I had no idea what he was thinking.</p><p>“A-And did he really c-commit—?” My baby brother didn’t dare to finish his sentence. Otherwise, he’d start crying and would cease to stop.</p><p>“I wanna see him,” I demanded bluntly. “I know you have the autopsy report, but I still wanna see him. It’s possible that they’ve got the wrong person. Scrooge has doppelgängers too, right? So I gotta know if it’s true. We <em> all </em> do.” Everyone else nodded.</p><p>With that, Uncle Donald drove us to the morgue. We then followed the diener into a medium-sized room with a bed in the middle. There was a white sheet covering the dead body. As soon as it was removed, we all gasped (except for my uncle).</p><p>Muttering a small <em> no</em>, it suddenly hit me—Scrooge McDuck committed suicide. And worst of all, he was successful. So my brothers and I were at fault, right? We literally <em> drove </em> him to suicide three days back! Uncle Scrooge assumed he didn’t have a family anymore, s-so he —</p><p>“C-Can we go inside?” I almost whispered shakily. My uncle nodded fervently and led us towards our great-uncle’s corpse while Mrs. Beakley, Webby, and Launchpad cried softly from outside the room.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>LOUIE DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****SAME DAY****</b>
</p><p>“U-Uncle Scrooge?” I stammered, leaning over to see the old man’s face. </p><p>No no no! This couldn’t be real! This couldn’t be happening! Uncle Scrooge wasn’t dead! He’d wake up soon and yell at us for making a ruckus. <b> <em>Yeah</em></b><em>, that’s it! </em> I thought hopefully—but it wasn’t true. He really <em>was</em> gone.</p><p>Dewey felt bile rising in his throat and immediately threw up in the corner of the room, retching loudly. Huey did the same on the other side. What was Uncle Donald doing? Oh yeah! Bawling his eyes out in front of my dead idol. Great. My life was <em> so </em> amazing right now, sitting down and numbly staring at the wall.</p><p>Who was I kidding? Everything turned to <em> shit </em> after witnessing our great-uncle’s corpse. I was also emotionally drained after seeing Uncle Donald spilling tears all over Uncle Scrooge’s hospital gown for 20 minutes.</p><p>The three of us didn’t cry yet, but I had a feeling we were gonna do it later. Besides, my brothers were too sick and worn out to do anything else while I didn’t have the energy to openly express my grief. Webby cried herself to sleep, so Mrs. Beakley carried her all the way back to the limo. Then we drove back home.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>WEBBY VANDERQUACK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****7 APRIL****</b>
</p><p>Everyone had cried except for Huey, Dewey, and Louie. Maybe they were still processing their great-uncle's demise, too traumatized to display their emotions. Or were they still mad at Scrooge?</p><p>I swore I’d murder them if they were still angry. They had <em> no </em>reason to be after Mr. McDuck....god! I couldn’t even say it out loud.</p><p>“So uh—are you guys gonna come down or....” I asked my best friends, but they paid no heed to my question.</p><p>“Nah, we’re good,” Louie replied dismissively, eyes staring intently at his phone screen.</p><p>“We’ll go down later, Webs,” Huey said while flashing me a weak smile. Dewey simply nodded his head and remained silent.</p><p>Sighing hopelessly, I decided to leave them alone once again. Man! Why were those guys so difficult to communicate with nowadays? It used to be so easy before Scrooge....right, nevermind. Instead, I ran into my room and shut the door, crying loudly because I missed my father-figure so much. It wasn’t fair!</p><p>“I-I miss you so much, Uncle Scrooge! P-Please come back!” I bawled like a baby while clutching his classic red outfit against my chest.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>HUEY DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****8 APRIL****</b>
</p><p>Five days after Uncle Scrooge’s death, it was time to attend the old man’s funeral. My brothers and I still hadn’t cried yet, and we had no idea why. </p><p>I mean, what the hell was <em> wrong </em> with us? Were we still pissed off with our great-uncle? Or were we too afraid to react the way we <em> should </em> have? Sadly, none of us had the answer.</p><p>“Here, let me adjust your tie,” I offered before fixing Louie’s collar too.</p><p>“Thanks,” he mumbled.</p><p>“Guys, Uncle Donald says the car’s ready. We should go,” Dewey told us.</p><p>Once the funeral was over, even after staring at Uncle Scrooge’s corpse and giving brief speeches about him, the three of us had yet to shed a single tear.</p><p>But then we entered his old office and found —</p><p>“Uncle Scrooge’s hat,” Dewey blurted out, holding the classic licorice-colored top hat in his hand.</p><p>“Huh. I’m surprised it hasn’t worn out yet,” Louie stated while shrugging.</p><p>Meanwhile, I felt bile rising in my throat again as I suddenly threw up in the trash can right next to Uncle Scrooge’s armchair, retching uncontrollably. With concerned looks on their faces, my brothers rushed over to me and crouched down, rubbing my back awkwardly.</p><p>“Dude, are you okay?” I heard Dewey’s voice say.</p><p>“What happened?” Louie asked worriedly.</p><p>“I um....I-I dunno. I feel sick. A-And uh—” I stuttered before dissolving into heartbreaking sobs. “It’s all our fault! W-We killed—! H-He committed suicide because of <em> us</em>! W-We’re the reason he’s—!”</p><p>Now Louie was sobbing too as he sat down beside me, placing his head on my shoulder while gripping my arm like a lifeline.</p><p>“Y-You’re right! It’s our fault!” he whimpered. </p><p>“We should've listened to him while he was explaining what happened to Mom. But we didn’t, ‘cause we were <em> so </em> angry!” I berated myself, still blubbering.</p><p>“Now it’s too late to apologize....” Louie lamented, his sobs quieting down.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>DEWEY DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****SAME DAY****</b>
</p><p>At least my brothers were crying, but why wasn’t I? That meant something was seriously wrong with me. Was I still miffed that Uncle Scrooge was partially responsible for Mom’s disappearance? Or did I forgive him completely and was still in denial?</p><p>That’s when I suggested going for a long walk outside, though it started raining cats and dogs an hour ago. After calming down, Huey and Louie were blatantly confused, but I managed to convince them in the end.</p><p>“We need to grab our raincoats. It’s raining like crazy out there,” Huey told us hoarsely, rubbing his bloodshot and puffy eyes. Louie looked the same, except he was a little sleepy.</p><p>“Where are we going?” my baby brother asked curiously.</p><p>I smiled softly, grabbing Louie’s hand and leading them towards the front door. “You’ll see.”</p><p>They followed me all the way to the top of a hill surrounded by beautiful flowers, mostly tulips and roses. Some of them were wilting, but still. It wasn’t so bad. Now it was just drizzling rain. :)</p><p>“It’s nice here, isn’t it?” I exhaled blissfully. My brothers blinked in response.</p><p>“Why did you bring us here, Dew?” Huey pondered.</p><p>I sighed again. “I dunno. Just felt like it.”</p><p>Huey and Louie were starting to worry. Why was I acting like this? Why wasn’t I upset like they were?</p><p>“Oh hey, look! There’s Uncle Scrooge!” I pointed towards the edge of the cliff, a wide grin plastered on my face. </p><p>That smile soon faltered once I spotted my uncle’s apparition stepping backwards before falling. A few seconds later, I heard a disturbing <em> splat</em>.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>LOUIE DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****SAME DAY****</b>
</p><p>“Uncle Scrooge?” Dewey sounded panicked as he scrambled towards the edge and rested flat on his stomach, leaning over a bit to see what was down there. Yep, my brother had officially lost it, ‘cause I didn’t see anything and neither did Huey.</p><p>Regardless, Dewey kept calling Uncle Scrooge’s name until his voice became strained, clogging with unshed tears.</p><p>“W-Where did he go? Why can’t I see him?” he asked frantically, looking around fearfully. </p><p>“Dewey — ” Huey tried telling him while our middle brother abruptly stood up and walked towards us.</p><p>“No! He was <em> right here</em>! I saw him, so why did he suddenly disappear?!” Dewey insisted, suddenly feeling sick. He then sat down on his knees and immediately threw up all over the grass, shaking his head fervently.</p><p>“Unless—he was never here,” he gasped shakily. “He’s not here,” Dewey whispered before breaking down in hysterical sobs.</p><p>“W-We didn’t help—!” he choked out before Huey brought our blue-clad brother in his arms, quietly caressing his hair while crying himself.</p><p>“None of us did, but it’s not just on you. The three of us were responsible, b-but all we can do is—” Huey paused for a few seconds and sobbed some more before continuing. “—forgive Uncle Scrooge and move on.”</p><p>“Y-Yeah,” I squeaked while tears leaked out my eyes.</p><p>“I forgive him too,” Webby suddenly spoke, having approached us a minute ago, leaning her head against my shoulder.</p><p>Looking ahead, I finally said, “We all do.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oh boy! Another scenario that involved Scrooge dying! RIP Scrooge McDuck.... :(</p><p>Anyway, hope you're all staying safe and healthy during quarantine.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. *The Most Dangerous...Game Night! (S2E1)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When the Tower of Infinity blocks accidentally kill Launchpad and spare Dr. Gearloose, an unexpected reaction leads to a chain of distressing events.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Those who've seen *Broadchurch* on Netflix will understand the references. That's all I can say without giving away spoilers for this chapter. :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>GYRO GEARLOOSE’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****5 AUGUST****</b>
</p><p>“Oh boy! This is not gonna end well!” McQuack exclaimed dreadfully. Meanwhile, I simply stared at the Tower of Infinity blocks which started to fall, aiming for the big guy.</p><p>“McQuack, watch out!” I yelled hastily, but it was too late. He was already buried under those gigantic wooden blocks.</p><p>“Shit!” I cursed under my breath. “I gotta get him out.” And so I did, but once I saw McQuack’s body, I gagged.</p><p>There were deep cuts and bruises all over his frame. Some of them were still leaking. So I dialed 911, only to find out that my phone battery had died.</p><p>“FUCK!” I bellowed, panting shakily. “Now what? Mr. McDuck’s gonna murder me if his pilot dies!” </p><p>I frantically searched for a pulse, but there was none. On top of that, McQuack’s face was paler than usual and his eyes remained wide open. That’s when I realized—Launchpad was <em> dead</em>. And worst of all, I couldn’t save him. Nonetheless, I borrowed his phone (which was fortunately working) and proceeded to call the green kid’s number.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>HUEY DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****SAME DAY****</b>
</p><p>Once our call immediately disconnected, Louie and I panicked as we went through all the Tower of Infinity blocks in hopes of finding Launchpad and Dr. Gearloose alive and unharmed.</p><p>“Careful, you’ll crush them!” my little brother said fearfully.</p><p>“They’re already crushed!” I almost screamed. “W-Why? Whyyyyy?” I cried.</p><p>“Guys, relax! It’s just a game,” Webby tried reassuring us, but it didn’t work.</p><p>“Yeah, a game you <em> lost </em> for us,” Dewey mumbled while crossing his arms.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Nothing!”</p><p>Suddenly, Louie’s phone rang again before he answered it.</p><p>“Uh—hi. This is Dr. Gearloose. I um—I have some bad news,” the chicken told us gravely. Gulping loudly, Louie and I dreaded a few worst-case scenarios. Still, we were eager to hear what he had to say. Meanwhile, the others left the room after Uncle Scrooge had announced the next game.</p><p>At first, we thought Gyro was joking. There was <em> no </em>way Launchpad had died. On the other hand, Dr. Gearloose wouldn’t have lied about that. In fact, he was a little <em> too </em> honest at times.</p><p>“I swear, Dr. Gearloose! If you’re <em> lying </em> — ” Louie warned him threateningly, voice breaking a little.</p><p>“I’m not. I wouldn’t lie about that, I promise,” Gyro countered before sighing sadly. “I’m really sorry—but your friend is <em> gone</em>.”</p><p>Louie and I stared at each other for a moment, processing what the scientist had just revealed to us. Was Launchpad—no! <b> <em>Don’t</em> </b> <em> jump to </em> <em>conclusions</em><em>, Hubert! Not </em> <b> <em>yet</em></b><em>. </em></p><p>“I’m gonna grab a magnifying glass, and you’re gonna show me his body,” my green-clad brother commanded, leaving no room for argument. I was also pretty shaken yet doubtful about Launchpad being dead, but I didn’t dare voice my own opinion.</p><p>Once Louie adjusted the magnifying glass, we both spotted a repentant Dr. Gearloose gazing at a dead body—<em>Launchpad’s </em> body.</p><p>“No no no no no, <em> please </em> no!” I begged while whispering. Before Louie could react, a bunch of flies suddenly lifted Gyro’s shrink ray, flying towards the dining room where the others were.</p><p>“Let’s move,” my brother ordered before we ran across the hall and entered the dining area. That’s when everyone shrunk except for the two of us.</p><p>Luckily, Louie devised a plan that helped revert our family members and closest friends to their original size, including Launchpad.</p><p>“I think we should all get some rest. It’s been a long night,” Mrs. Beakley advised.</p><p>“Yep! I’ll wake up Launchpad,” Dewey said, approaching his best friend slowly before gasping in horror. There were multiple flesh wounds all over his body, his face white as a sheet.</p><p>“Dewey? What happened—oh god! Call an ambulance!” Uncle Scrooge told him while internally panicking. The others also gasped.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Mr. McDuck—but it’s too late now. I checked his pulse and tried chest compressions, but nothing worked. He’s <em> gone</em>,” Dr. Gearloose said reluctantly.</p><p>“N-No, you’re wrong! Wake him up!” Dewey stuttered, eyes glistening with tears.</p><p>“Trust me, kid. I wish I was wrong, but....” Gyro trailed off, eyeing my middle brother sympathetically.</p><p>“I-I don’t understand! How did he—?” Dewey grabbed a fistful of his hair in denial.</p><p>“Remember when it was your turn to build the Tower of Infinity?” Louie reminded him. Dewey nodded quickly. </p><p>“Those blocks fell and crushed his entire body. Almost all his internal organs were damaged, so....” he added, struggling to keep his stoic façade.</p><p>Nobody dared to speak, for they’d start crying otherwise. The same applied to myself. Soon Uncle Scrooge phoned an ambulance as they took Launchpad’s corpse away while Dr. Gearloose went home.</p><p>Dewey refused to cry in front of us, so he ran upstairs and slammed the door outside our bedroom. A few minutes later, Louie and I tried to unlock the door. Fortunately, we were successful since Louie had his ways.</p><p>“Dewey?” I said carefully while approaching my little brother. </p><p>He was completely distraught, lying on his bed with tears cascading down his cheeks and soaking the pillow beneath him. Looking up with swollen red eyes, he told us to go away and leave him alone.</p><p>“But — ”</p><p>“I said GET OUT!” Dewey screamed, throwing one of his souvenirs at us. We barely dodged the attack, but Louie looked terrified and scrambled away from him, running downstairs. I soon followed.</p><p>“We should probably give him some space,” I suggested softly. My green-clad brother nodded in total agreement.</p><p>“Lads?” Uncle Scrooge croaked from the living room, sniffling a bit.</p><p>“Yeah?” we chorused.</p><p>“I-Is Dewey alright?” he asked worriedly.</p><p>“Well physically—yes. Emotionally? Not so much. He sorta kicked us out,” Louie answered hesitantly while staring at Webby sobbing brokenly in Mrs. Beakley’s arms.</p><p>“I’m so sorry, dear. We will get through this,” the housekeeper promised, stroking her granddaughter’s hair gently.</p><p>“And you two? Are you alright?” Uncle Donald asked us this time, tearing up himself.</p><p>I shook my head and burst into tears. “N-No, not really!”</p><p>The old man immediately opened his arms. “C’mere, lad,” he whispered shakily as I obeyed, bawling into his chest. He caressed my head feathers while Louie hugged Uncle Donald, also crying.</p><p>“W-What do we do?” my baby brother blubbered.</p><p>“Like Beakley said, we’ll get through this—together,” Uncle Scrooge vowed tearfully, bringing the two of us closer to his body while Uncle Donald rubbed our backs.</p><p>Maybe our uncles were right. Maybe things would get better eventually, but not tonight. Not for the next few weeks—or months. Dewey’s grief would definitely last longer than ours, so we had to be his rock, his shoulder to cry on. But how would we do that if he refused to talk to us? </p><p><em> Well—we’ll </em> <b> <em>figure it out</em></b><em>. </em> I promised.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>DEWEY DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****SAME DAY****</b>
</p><p>I probably shouldn’t have yelled at my brothers, but I was so angry and devastated that I couldn’t think straight. Angry at Dr. Gearloose for not being able to save my best friend and inventing a dangerous shrink ray. Angry at Uncle Scrooge for suggesting Game Night in the first place. Angry at everyone for not mourning as much as I was. </p><p>But why would they? None of them knew Launchpad like I did. <em> I </em> was his best friend, not them! <em> I </em> was the one who truly understood him when no one else did! I was there for him no matter what! And I <em> never </em> called him stupid or brainless—unlike my jackass brothers. Well fuck them! I never needed them anyway! I could fend for myself!</p><p>More importantly, I knew who was actually responsible for Launchpad’s death. It was Dr. Gearloose. <em>He </em> killed my best friend! And he didn’t care enough to let me say goodbye! So that chicken had to <em> pay </em> for what he’d done. I’d make sure Gyro would suffer a slow and painful—well....best not to mention it out loud.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****6 AUGUST****</b>
</p><p>At 1:05am, everyone else was fast asleep, and my plan was all set. Although it did involve ‘borrowing’ one of Louie’s fake aliases from his personal drawer in case I was caught red-handed. I also had to dress up like a bank robber so that no one would’ve been able to recognize me, especially the cameras.</p><p>While Huey was sleeping in Louie’s bed, arms wrapped around his torso protectively, I quietly snuck out the window and shut it behind me before jumping down. Sprinting towards the front gate, I dashed towards Uncle Scrooge’s money bin where Dr. Gearloose’s underwater lab was located.</p><p>The perks of being related to Scrooge McDuck was that I had <em> full </em> elevator access. Entering the main lab, I spotted Gyro sprawled over his desk and snoring soundly. Glancing at him with pure disgust, I washed away all my second thoughts and found a hidden closet that was locked.</p><p><em>Shit</em><em>! </em> <b> <em>Now</em> </b> <em> how am I gonna get in? </em> I thought bitterly. Suddenly, I recalled Louie teaching me how to pick locks and smiled menacingly, rubbing my palms together. <b> <em>Bingo</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>“Well—here goes nothing,” I mouthed before successfully opening the door and finding a flask with skull symbols all over it. The label read <b>WARNING: THIS IS 100% LETHAL. DO NOT GIVE TO ANY LIVING ORGANISM WHATSOEVER!!</b> But I didn’t give a shit. I was going to use it!</p><p>Personality-wise, I wasn’t cautious enough, but now I had to be. Carefully tiptoeing to where Gyro was sleeping, I found a needle and dipped it into the liquid, stirring it for a few seconds before the poison was absorbed. </p><p>A part of me had said, “Don’t do it!” But obviously my rage and grief clouded my judgement as I injected the needle inside Dr. Gearloose’s skin. Saltwater leaked from my eyes and stained my mask. <em> Don’t worry, Launchpad. You’ll be avenged </em> <b> <em>very soon</em></b><em>! </em> I swore while sobbing quietly.</p><p>The chicken’s breathing soon became labored as his heart eventually stopped beating. Opening his eyes slightly, Gyro Gearloose was now officially deceased. Satisfied with the result, I turned around and gasped loudly. <em>Fenton</em><em>?? As in </em> <b> <em>Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera</em></b><em>?! </em> <strong><em>Shit</em></strong><em>! </em></p><p>“Yes, Mamá. I forgot some things in the lab so I need to—you know what? I’ll call you later.” Apparently, the guy was calling his mother, Mrs. Cabrera, until he spotted a silhouette in the room and hung up. </p><p>He then turned the lights on, brows narrowing in suspicion. “Dewey? What are you doing here? And why are you dressed up like a bank robber?”</p><p>I swallowed heavily, blocking Fenton’s view by standing in front of Gyro’s body. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. He saw everything—the needle, the poison, the warnings on the flask. And worst of all—the visible needle mark on Dr. Gearloose’s arm. <strong><em>Fuck</em></strong><em>! Now he </em> <b> <em>knows</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>Horrified, the superhero stepped forward, taking uneven breaths. “Dewford....w-what did you <em> do</em>?” he nearly whispered.</p><p>Gritting my teeth, I replied venomously, “Your boss killed my best friend! S-So I made him pay. I had to avenge Launchpad! He’s <em> gone</em>, Fenton, and he’ll never come back! And you can’t tell <em> anyone </em> what I did, or that I was here.”</p><p>“D-Do you realize what you’ve <em> done</em>? Y-You murdered my—!” Fenton’s voice shook violently, tears falling from his eyes. </p><p>Pressing his lips together, he yanked out his phone and dialed a very familiar number. Realizing this, I panicked and tried to stop him, but he pushed me away, fuming.</p><p>“Don’t! J-Just <em> stop</em>! When we first met, I always thought you were a good kid. Huey told me so much about you a-and I believed him! But after what you did, I can’t even—! H-How <em> could </em> you? Dr. Gearloose was my best friend too! H-He was my mentor! And you murdered him!” he yelled before muffling his sobs with both hands.</p><p>Breathing anxiously, I responded, “I-I lost my sanity for a sec, so I — ”</p><p>“I was gonna call the police, but I’ve changed my mind. I’ll call Mr. McDuck instead and tell him what happened. He’ll decide what to do with you,” Fenton deadpanned as he called Uncle Scrooge’s number.</p><p>Knowing there was no way out of this, I had to protect myself first. If my family found out I murdered someone, they’d never look at me the same way ever again. In fact, they’d disown me on the spot, and I couldn’t risk losing them either. I loved my family too much for that, so I had no other choice but to inject Fenton with the exact same poison.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Fenton—but I can’t let you ruin my family too. G-Goodbye,” I told him guiltily, lips trembling like crazy. My face twisted with sadness and regret as I witnessed my red-clad brother’s best friend dying.</p><p>Fenton’s knees wobbled as he fell to the ground, retching violently. Foam started escaping from his mouth as his eyes remained open. Soon, the superhero stopped breathing and died after a couple more seconds.</p><p>Freaking out, I cleaned up Gyro’s desk thoroughly and threw away the needle before returning the flask to its original place. There were several cameras hanging from the ceiling, so I cleared all evidence that I was here to begin with by wiping them with a cloth. I also made sure there were absolutely <em>no</em> traces of my DNA before exiting the lab.</p><p>Back at the mansion, I silently opened the front door and shut it before heading upstairs. I then ran into the bathroom and threw up all over the sink as I wept quietly, berating myself for costing the lives of two people overnight due to my uncontrollable thirst for vengeance.</p><p>“W-What have I <em> done</em>?!” I whispered tearfully before changing into my regular pajamas.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>LOUIE DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****SAME DAY****</b>
</p><p>It was almost noon, and my brothers and I were up since 7:30am. This morning was pretty depressing, being the first day after Launchpad’s death. </p><p>Sure, I wasn’t as close to him as Dewey was, but Launchpad was my friend too—and Huey’s. Webby was also really upset while Uncle Scrooge looked remorseful. Uncle Donald was out on an errand, so we didn’t see him for the next few hours.</p><p>“I should’ve treated him better,” the old man lamented, face scrunching up again while taking a sip of his tea, saltwater droplets falling into the cup.</p><p>That’s when Mrs. B barged in with terrified eyes, urging us to watch the news. Startled, we entered the living room and turned on the TV.</p><p>“....According to the footage, a person wearing a mask and black clothing all over their body....is the main suspect for the murder of former scientists Gyro Gearloose and Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera....They used cleaning fluid to erase all traces of their handprints and footprints....”</p><p>All of us sat there in shock. Uncle Scrooge immediately turned off the TV and placed his head between his knees. Huey was a sobbing mess, calling out Fenton’s name. It made sense. They were best friends too, just like Dewey and Launchpad, so Huey was crushed by this tragic revelation.</p><p>“So—who do you think the killer is?” I blurted out curiously. Everyone stared at me.</p><p>“I dunno, lad. But I swear, we’ll find out who it is and get justice for Fenton and Gyro. In the meantime, look out for each other and note any suspicious behavior from everyone in the area. I have a feeling that the killer lives here in Duckburg, so we need to act quickly,” Uncle Scrooge suggested.</p><p>“If we catch them, I hope they’re <em> murdered </em> in prison!” Huey growled while failing to stifle his sobs, eyes bloodshot and baggy from the tears. Dewey winced at that statement while I enveloped my oldest brother in a comforting hug.</p><p>“But who could’ve done this? Did they want money? Or revenge?” Webby thought out loud.</p><p>“I guess we’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, I’ll help Beakley with the investigation. You kids stay here and don’t leave the house without permission, is that clear?” the billionaire instructed.</p><p>“Yes, Uncle Scrooge,” we chorused.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>SCROOGE MCDUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****13 AUGUST****</b>
</p><p>It was difficult hearing Officer Cabrera weep over the death of her only son while working with Beakley and me on the case. <em>A parent should <strong>never</strong> outlive their own child.</em> Boy, I knew that too well. Even to this day, I still missed Della more than anything.</p><p>That meant focusing on the case first and getting her son justice—and for Gyro too. Our main suspects were Flinty (who unfortunately had amnesia), Beaks, Don Karnage, the Beagle Boys, Graves, Doofus Drake, Magica, and several others who had something personal against my family or the Cabreras.</p><p>“It’s been a week and we still don’t know who the killer is! All our suspects were already proven innocent!” I quacked. “Ack! Why can’t they just come forward?! Everyone around here <em> knows </em> the culprit will get caught eventually, so they might as well confess now and get it over with!”</p><p>Bentina suddenly gasped and smiled victoriously. “Yes! I think we <em>finally</em> got a lead! According to our sources, the culprit stole Fenton and Gyro’s phones and kept them ever since. Now we can trace the signal and find out who it is!”</p><p>“Good job, Beakley! Now let’s catch ‘em before it’s too late!” I applauded.</p><p>There was a cottage nearby on top of the hill, so both of us searched there. But when the culprit made a 180-degree turn, we gasped, utterly perplexed. It didn’t make sense. Why did <em> Dewey </em> have Fenton and Gyro’s phones? Was he a key witness? Did he spot the killer?</p><p>Dewey sighed defeatedly and said, “You’re not gonna like what I'll tell you. But I have to, ‘cause I’m sick of hiding.”</p><p>Boy, was I wrong! Once the lad told me everything that happened a week ago, I couldn’t wrap my head around the details. My own nephew murdered <em> both </em> my employees?! But that was impossible! Dewey was sleeping! </p><p>Turned out, he wasn’t. He snuck out of the house and broke into Gyro’s lab, desperately wanting revenge after believing the man was responsible for Launchpad’s tragic demise. After being caught by Fenton, Dewey claimed he couldn’t take any chances, so he fatally poisoned him as well before clearing all evidence of his presence....except for <em>one</em> camera, though the lenses were blurry.</p><p>This horrifying revelation almost made me vomit all over the interrogation desk. At first, I wanted to believe Dewey was either mind-controlled by one of my sworn enemies or forced to do it against his own will. But neither assumption was true. Dewey murdered them <em> willingly </em> while not under the influence of any mind-control serum—out of grief-filled rage and fear of being exposed.</p><p>Besides the two other interrogation officers, Bentina felt the same way, though both of us had to remain professional and stick to the facts. It was the only way to prevent an allegation stating we 'threatened' Dewey to do so, thus 'falsely' being accused of murder.</p><p>Suddenly, Dewey realized something and cursed out loud. “Shit! Do the others know?” I shook my head in response.</p><p>“But they’ll definitely know soon,” Beakley replied in a low voice, causing my blue-clad nephew to gulp fearfully. </p><p>Good! ‘Cause the lad deserved to be afraid. If he truly felt guilty for what he’d done, Dewey would gladly give up his freedom and spend the rest of his life in prison. That way, he’d still be a decent human being.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>HUEY DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****SAME DAY****</b>
</p><p>Urgh! What was taking Uncle Scrooge and Mrs. Beakley so long? We desperately wanted to know who the murderer was! That is, until Mrs. B invited me to the interrogation room—alone.</p><p>“Where were you the night of Gyro and Fenton’s death?”</p><p>Initially, I assumed she was accusing <em> me </em> of killing my best friend and his boss, but what Mrs. B said afterwards was much worse. Standing up and walking around the table to where I was sitting, she sat down across from me with a pitiful expression, as if she didn’t <em> want </em> to tell me who it was.</p><p>“It was Dewford. Dewey killed Gyro Gearloose and Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera,” the housekeeper revealed sadly. I didn’t believe her at first, constantly claiming it wasn’t him. But Mrs. B said otherwise, explaining how and why it happened. She was telling the truth.</p><p>“The officers have him in custody,” she added, grimacing at my dumbfounded expression. </p><p>That’s when tears started leaking from my eyes, face twisting in sorrow and disbelief. I then dragged myself to the corner of the room and cupped my mouth while retching. At first, I was in denial, praying that my little brother was either forced to do it by someone else or was mind-controlled somehow. </p><p>Tragically, I was wrong. Dewey’s toxicology screen revealed he was never drugged by anyone, thus his actions were 100% voluntary. My brother <em> willingly </em> killed both of them. He took two innocent lives and just—! It made me wanna puke.</p><p>“W-Where is he? I wanna see him,” I choked out, puffy red eyes pleading with Mrs. B’s concerned ones.</p><p>“Dear, I don’t think that’s a good idea — ” she protested.</p><p>“I wanna see him—<em>now </em> please,” I insisted. Mrs. Beakley gave in as I followed her to Dewey’s temporary cell. </p><p>Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to go inside, so forget beating him up with my bare hands. Instead, I peeked through the tiny window mounted on his door.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>DEWEY DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****SAME DAY****</b>
</p><p>Glancing up, I held my breath once I spotted my big brother’s bloodshot eyes. They were livid and filled with disgust and grief. <em> Yep! He </em> <b> <em>knows</em></b><em>. </em></p><p>“Huey,” I exhaled, not knowing what else to say. If I did, he’d instantly lose his temper and I wouldn’t have been able to explain myself.</p><p>“My own brother, my best friend—we’ve lived together our whole lives.” His voice trembled violently, silently noting that I betrayed our family in the <em> worst </em> way. I’d forever have blood on my hands, and it was all my fault.</p><p>“I-I’m sorry. I’m <em> so </em> sorry!” My voice shook too, eyes downcast and anxiously waiting for a response. Huey averted his gaze for a moment, face scrunched up with more tears falling.</p><p>Glaring at me, he said, “What? Couldn’t kill Launchpad yourself, so you had to take <em> my </em> best friend instead? Huh? And not just him—Gyro too. You murdered <em> two </em> people. Wow! I guess you’ve earned a world record after all.” Ouch! That hurt.</p><p>“I-I didn’t <em> want </em> to kill anyone! It’s just—I blamed Dr. Gearloose for not saving Launchpad a-and—I dunno! I lost my sanity for a sec! And Fenton was gonna call the cops, so I couldn’t take <em> any </em> chances — ” I tried justifying my actions, but it wasn’t enough. Nothing I’d ever say would make it right.</p><p>“Do you <em> hear </em> yourself, Dew? Hmm?” my older brother seethed. Nope! The tension between us was too much, so I had to say something else, which totally caught him off-guard.</p><p>“What? It’s not like <em> you </em> haven’t lost your sanity once in a while! Remember our internship at Waddle? You said you were capable of being a villain — ” I retaliated before he interrupted me.</p><p>“DON’T USE MY MENTAL BREAKDOWNS AS A FUCKING EXCUSE, DO YOU UNDERSTAND??!!” Huey bellowed, pure rage boiling in his veins as I nodded fearfully. Taking a deep breath, he managed to calm down a little, but not enough.</p><p>“Yeah, I did say that, but I <em> never </em> acted on it! In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a huge difference between thinking about something and actually doing it—and you crossed that line.” Pausing for a moment, Huey contemplated on what to say next.</p><p>“You know, I wanted to hate you, Dew. But seeing you here in a small white cell, you’re not even <em> worth </em> hating—because you’re <em> nothing</em>. You’re not Dewey! You’re just a fucking stranger impersonating him.” A few tears strolled down my own cheeks as I heard this, not bothering to wipe them away.</p><p>Sighing deeply, Huey added, “Anyway—the trial’s starting next week, so you better prepare for it. They’re not gonna try you as an adult because technically you’re a <em>minor</em>. Meanwhile, Uncle Scrooge is informing the others about what you did, so don’t think you’re <em> ever </em> coming back to us.”</p><p>With a final goodbye, my red-clad brother was about to leave the police station and return to McDuck Manor, my <em> former </em> home. On the other hand, I slammed my fists on the table before dissolving into quiet sobs, wondering whether I’d plead guilty or not.</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>LOUIE DUCK’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****SAME DAY****</b>
</p><p>“So you’re saying an 11-year-old <em> child </em> murdered my son?” Officer Cabrera stammered through her tears, red-rimmed eyes fixated on Uncle Scrooge, pleading for answers.</p><p>“I’m so sorry, but it’s true. Dewey <em> did </em> murder them. He confessed to me and Beakley an hour back. But I promise you, Maria—we'llmake sure your son gets justice, but Dewey will have to plead guilty for that to happen,” the old man admitted.</p><p>“Th-This can’t be true! Dewey’s not—!” Yep, Uncle Donald was in denial too, tears welling in his eyes. But soon enough, he had to accept it and weep bitterly for the nephew he raised, the boy he <em>thought</em> he knew.</p><p>“Oh my god!” Webby exhaled tearfully, devastated that her best friend had willingly killed two people.</p><p>That's it! I couldn’t take it anymore so I stormed out the mansion, slamming the door behind me. Arriving at the police station where Dewey was imprisoned, I was shocked to see Huey standing outside the front doors. Witnessing his heartbroken expression, I knew Uncle Scrooge wasn’t lying. </p><p>Flinging the doors wide open, I spotted Dewey temporarily being let out of his cell in order to use the restroom. Outraged that my big brother was a murderer and a lying piece of shit, I kicked the living daylights out of him, only to be restrained by my oldest brother and Mrs. Beakley.</p><p>“Louie, you need to calm down! This could jeopardize the entire trial and prove your brother innocent!” Mrs. B warned, wincing at Dewey’s bloody nose and broken ribs while he muttered a small <em> ow </em> and dragged himself towards the bathroom.</p><p>“Oh really? How?” I said disbelievingly, folding my arms.</p><p>“By ‘forcing’ Dewey to confess to a murder he ‘didn’t’ commit? The defense will use that if he decides <em> not </em> to plead guilty, and I’ll bet the jury will side with him instead of us. After all, who will they believe? His mostly <em> adult </em> family members, or the 11-year-old boy himself? Remember, juries are susceptible to children being innocent,” she reminded me, brows raised.</p><p>“So what do we do? We can’t let Dewey get away with this! He <em> has </em> to be convicted!” Huey declared frantically, pulling at his own hair.</p><p>“He <em> will </em> get convicted. I’m only saying the process will be easier if he <em> does </em> plead guilty. However, Dewey needs to make that choice himself. We can’t influence his decision in <em> any </em> way, is that clear?” We both nodded, agreeing 100%.</p><p>Afterwards, Mrs. Cabrera came in and tearfully opened her arms, murmuring that she couldn’t imagine what we were going through either, having a vengeful murderer as a brother. How could she forgive us so easily? We were Dewey’s brothers! His <em> family</em>! If anything, she should’ve been pissed off! But she wasn’t, because Huey and I weren’t <em> him</em>. Besides, we were kids too, and this situation was unthinkable for us.</p><p>“I have my lawyers on speed dial. Would you also like to have a word with them?” Officer Cabrera requested. Nodding our heads, we silently swore Dewey would go down for this.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If there's anything you want me to clear up for you, please let me know.</p><p>Now obviously, the plot and characters seem similar to *Broadchurch* (sort of) but are drastically different. I added my own creative twist into this. The reason why is because quite a few fanfic writers wrote about Louie being the "evil triplet", but what if it were Dewey instead? 😈</p><p>In addition, I watch a TV show called *Community* (also on Netflix) and loved the idea of having the "darkest timeline".</p><p>Thank you for reading! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. *Last Christmas! (S2E6)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Wendigo decides not to spare Dewey's life and murders him without mercy, causing the family to fall apart yet again. On the other hand, the old man receives an ironically pleasant surprise.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey guys! Sorry I took so long to update this fic. I was really stressed these past two months, so I gave myself a break to focus on other things. Also, I deleted the 2nd series and reposted those two chapters into this fic instead.</p><p>Well here you go, another chapter where Dewey is killed! Yikes....!</p><p>Since the previous chapter ended with the "darkest timeline", it only seemed fit to continue the death scenarios fic with a story where Dewey dies (whereas in S2E1, he became a cold-blooded murderer).</p><p>Anywho, enjoy! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****24 DECEMBER****</b>
</p><p>“SCROOGE!” the monster bellowed again. </p><p>Instead of turning into stone however, he regained his strength, pushing the Ghost of Christmas Past aside and marched towards the old man and his blue-clad nephew. Grabbing the boy with both hands, Wendigo clutched his neck and squeezed it.</p><p>Panicking with sweat running down his face, Scrooge yelled while running towards them, “Stop! Y-You’re choking him!” </p><p>But the monster didn’t bother. He continued strangling Dewey until a sickening snap was heard. Wendigo immediately dropped him afterwards, huffing loudly before walking away and celebrating his victory. </p><p>For a moment, the world stopped rotating on its own axis, at least in Scrooge’s point-of-view. Creeping towards the 11-year-old, his arms began shaking violently as the old man studied Dewey’s pale face and open eyes.</p><p>“Dewey? Dewey....<em>Dewey</em>! Lad, wake up!” The old man proceeded to slap him awake, but immediately retracted.</p><p><em>Perhaps </em><b><em>CPR</em> </b><em>could work instead. </em>Scrooge thought.</p><p>Performing chest compressions for five minutes straight, more sweat poured down his cheeks as Scrooge pleaded for Dewey to wake up and prove that he was still alive. Sadly, it was useless, feeling the skin around the boy’s cracked neck.</p><p><em>Is he—? </em><b><em>No</em></b><em>! He </em><b><em>can’t</em> </b><em>be! </em> </p><p>Unable to react, Scrooge numbly gathered Dewey in his arms and solemnly requested the other Ghosts to send him back to the present.</p><p>“So be it,” the Grim Reaper responded quickly as Present gently grabbed the billionaire’s hand, flash-forwarding 22 years.</p><hr/><p>The Ghosts ultimately chose to give Scrooge some space, so they left, leaving the old man to fend for himself.</p><p>“Hey, Uncle Scrooge!” said Donald while waving happily. His smile faltered once he saw Dewey presumably asleep in the billionaire’s arms.</p><p>“Uh—why is Dewey asleep? It’s not even time for dessert yet,” the sailor pointed out, frowning a bit.</p><p>“Wait, it’s time for <em>dessert</em>?? But it’s after 7:00!” Huey exclaimed with wild hand gestures.</p><p>Louie rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Seriously? <em>That’s</em> your main concern?” he responded snarkily.</p><p>“Boys!” Donald quacked, shutting them up. Turning back to Scrooge, he waited patiently for an answer.</p><p>“Well?” the boatkeeper prompted, hands on both hips. </p><p>Scrooge cleared his throat loudly before answering. “I-I um....” he stammered. “The thing is....he’s not....Dewey’s not—”</p><p>Suddenly, he couldn’t hold it in any longer as tears dribbled down his cheeks and soaked his sleeves, including the middle triplet’s long-sleeved shirt.</p><p>“I-I’m sorry!” the old man wept. “I-I tried everything, b-but he’s—! He’s gone! My child....!”</p><p>Donald shook his head in denial, holding back his own tears. “Y-You’re lying! This isn’t funny, Uncle Scrooge!” he almost yelled.</p><p>“I’m not,” Scrooge replied hoarsely, rubbing his swollen red-rimmed eyes.</p><p>“Just shut up! This is a prank, isn’t it?! Huh?? ANSWER ME!” Donald hollered, marching towards his uncle and blue-clad nephew with his fists curled. </p><p>The sailor refused to believe what Scrooge said was true.</p><p><em>Dewey’s </em><b><em>not dead</em></b><em>! Uncle Scrooge is playing a </em><b><em>mean trick</em> </b><em>on you! </em>He convinced himself while placing two fingers on the side of Dewey’s neck. </p><p>Donald gasped audibly. He was <em>wrong</em>! Dewey had stopped breathing a long time ago. Putting more pressure on the middle triplet’s skin, the sailor could feel the cracked bones inside his neck, indicating that it had snapped, thus causing a fatal injury.</p><p>“N-No! I-It can’t be!” he wheezed. Making a 180-degree turn, he frantically enlisted the boys to call 911 in order to confirm their brother’s fate.</p><p>Obviously confused and worried as to why their uncles were in tears over Dewey’s unconscious body, they obeyed as the paramedics took less than five minutes to arrive.</p><p>Meanwhile, Webby approached the distraught adults and took a close peek at her best friend’s still form, inhaling in shock.</p><p>“No!” she whispered shakily. Dewey was abnormally pale and unmoving, so that was the major indicator. Also, she overheard Donald checking his neck for a pulse, but ultimately found none.</p><p>“D-Dewey? <em>Dewey</em>??” Webby tried waking him up, but it was no use.</p><p>“Guys, they’re here!” Huey announced from the lobby. Louie followed the paramedics inside the living room as they formed a small circle around Dewey’s body. </p><p>However, Webby refused to move from her spot. </p><p>“Sorry, sweetie—but you need to stand aside so that we can check your friend’s pulse, okay?” the chief paramedic told her sweetly, which she did reluctantly.</p><p>After five more minutes, no one was able to revive him, no matter how hard they gave the kid CPR or shocked his heart with a defibrillator. Dewford Dingus Duck was declared dead at 7:53pm—about forty minutes ago.</p><p>“W-What?” Louie choked out, tears swimming in his eyes while firmly gripping Huey’s hand.</p><p>Shaking his head nonstop, the Junior Woodchuck murmured <em>no </em>almost a hundred times before sprinting upstairs and locking the bathroom door next to his bedroom, throwing up everything he ate earlier this evening.</p><p>Finally, he gave in and sobbed his heart out, pulling at his own hair while moaning Dewey’s name and blurting out countless apologies. The 11-year-old’s heart had shattered completely, blaming himself for not treating his little brother better when he was still alive.</p><p>Meanwhile, Donald was <em>beyond </em>furious. He waited for the paramedics to leave so that he could scream in Scrooge’s face without any witnesses. Well....except for Mrs. Beakley and Webby—and Louie. Oh! Let’s not forget Launchpad!</p><p>Speaking of Launchpad, his face was buried in the piano keys, wetting them with saltwater. His best friend was gone. Dewey would never smile at him again, make silly faces, tell funny jokes, spit out ridiculous puns, and so forth.</p><p>Webby was undoubtedly a broken mess on the floor, her clothes drenched in tears and sweat, eyes bloodshot and puffy and her nose still running.</p><p>A few feet ahead of her, Bentina was trying to mediate between the two uncles. Donald continued fuming at Scrooge while the latter retaliated, saying that it wasn’t his fault that Dewey died.</p><p>“It was the Wendigo who killed him, not <em>me</em>!” the old man argued, hiccuping slightly from the tears.</p><p>“Yeah right! Once again, you <em>refuse </em>to take responsibility for your actions! Typical Scrooge!” The sailor’s voice was incredibly hoarse and distressed, despite the overwhelming rage he was feeling.</p><p>“Alright, you two. That’s enough! <em>No one </em>is to blame here except for the Wendigo! It wasn’t either of your faults!” Bentina scolded them harshly.</p><p>“I DON’T CARE! IT’S <em>YOUR </em>FAULT DEWEY IS DEAD! Y-YOU DIDN’T SAVE HIM! YOU DIDN’T S-SAVE—!” Donald shrieked before his sobs returned. </p><p>“T-Tomorrow, I’m taking the boys with me and we’re leaving—for <em>good</em>!” he declared, literally putting his foot down.</p><p>“N-No, we can’t leave!” Louie objected through his endless sobs and hiccups, scarlet-rimmed eyes gazing hopefully at his uncles. </p><p>“W-We can’t fall apart again! N-Not after Dewey—!” He couldn’t bear to finish his sentence and his words became too unintelligible due to his heavy crying.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Louie—but my decision is final. We’re leaving at 9am sharp, so go upstairs and pack your bags. Tell your brother to do the same,” the sailor deadpanned as his tears eventually stopped falling.</p><p>“But — ”</p><p>“NOW!”</p><p>Shaking his head slowly, the green-clad duckling sobbed out three heartbreaking words: “I <em>hate </em>you!” </p><p>Seconds later, he ran upstairs and locked his bedroom door shut, kicking the foot of his bunk repeatedly and cursing out loud.</p><p>“FUCK!” he cried. <em>This </em><b><em>can’t</em> </b><em>be happening! </em></p><hr/><p>
  <b>****25 DECEMBER****</b>
</p><p>Yeah, if Louie thought yesterday was bad, then today was much worse. Not only was Dewey dead, but the boys would never see Scrooge ever again. That included the other residents of McDuck Manor—Webby, Mrs. Beakley, and Launchpad.</p><p>And that made Louie extremely pissed off with Donald (Huey included after he found out last night). The sailor felt the exact same away towards Scrooge, but he stood by his decision. They would leave McDuck Manor forever and move far away from Duckburg.</p><p>On the other hand, neither of them blamed Scrooge for what happened. They both understood the old man tried everything he could to save their brother, so they were forever grateful for that.</p><p>Saying goodbye to the others was equally difficult and gut-wrenching. Webby cried the whole time, blubbering apologies for not coming up with a good enough plan to make them stay. The boys disagreed, claiming it wasn’t her fault as they spent the next ten minutes consoling her.</p><p>Mrs. Beakley and Launchpad were last. The pilot also cried a little, praying they’d keep in touch at least virtually. The housekeeper hoped for the same, although she remained stoic despite her heart breaking for the McDuck family’s terrible loss.</p><p>Three hours later, the trio began unpacking boxes on the houseboat. Huey and Louie moved back into their old bedroom while Donald did the same. </p><p>All of a sudden, the boys found a framed photo of Dewey giggling uncontrollably. Man! He looked so happy and carefree back then. But that was the tragic part—it was back then and not now. Dewey would never make those faces ever again.</p><p>Urgh! That’s when the waterworks just <em>had </em>to start, didn’t they?! The youngest muffled his cries with both hands and sat down on the bottom bunk, failing to wipe away the infinite tears soaking his green hoodie.</p><p>“I-It’s only been a day, and I’m already l-losing it!” he sobbed.</p><p>“I know, me too,” the eldest responded empathetically, shedding silent tears.</p><p>He then sat on the green bed and caressed his baby brother’s head feathers for a few minutes. That’s how long it took for the youngest to calm down.</p><p>“Some Christmas, huh?” Louie murmured sadly, leaning on his big brother’s shoulder.</p><p>“Yeah—some Christmas,” Huey replied solemnly, draping both arms around his little brother’s body and holding him close to his heart. </p><p>The two of them vowed to take care of each other, for Dewey’s sake and their own. They silently noted to mention it during their brother’s upcoming funeral as well as continuing to ignore Donald as much as possible (because there was no way on <em>Earth</em> he’d allow them to contact anyone from the McDuck residence—in person or virtually).</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****27 JANUARY****</b>
</p><p>A month had passed, and Scrooge nearly drank himself to death every night. Thanks to Mrs. Beakley’s aid and Webby’s tearful pleas, he didn’t overdose (despite wanting to). </p><p>Then again, Launchpad wasn’t any better. Well—he moved away to another city several days back, but still! He couldn’t bear living there anymore, not after the family broke apart ages ago. He didn’t want to leave his boss behind, but this time, Launchpad had to put himself first, and that wasn’t a bad thing. He needed time to grieve too.</p><p>Later that evening, however....something wonderful happened. A 30-something-year-old woman resembling Della Duck had appeared out of nowhere, awkwardly coming up with the perfect greeting. Initially, Scrooge anticipated it was Donald and the boys, but nope! It was definitely Della herself.</p><p>His eyes became watery as she said, “Hi, Uncle Scrooge!” Flashing him a warm smile, the old man couldn’t bear to stand still as he yanked her in his arms, spinning in a circle and beaming joyfully for the first time in weeks.</p><p>“It’s you! It’s <em>really </em>you! I cannae believe it....!”</p><p>After a bit of playful squabbling, Della demanded to see her sons, causing Scrooge’s smile to fade instantly.</p><p>“Well....th-the thing is, lass—they’re not here,” he admitted mournfully.</p><p>The pilot was taken aback by this statement and scoffed. “W-What? What d’you mean they’re <em>not here</em>?? Where else would they be?”</p><p>“Your brother—Donald, h-he took the boys and left ages ago. They’re probably not even in Duckburg at this point,” Scrooge presumed.</p><p>However, that wasn’t completely true. Huey and Louie were still living on the houseboat with Donald, but they never left Duckburg. The boat remained docked near the harbor. Of course, the old man didn’t know that—<em>yet</em>.</p><p>“WHAT?!” Della shrieked. “S-So where are they then? Antarctica??”</p><p>“Of course not!” Scrooge countered.</p><p>“Oh how do you know?! What the hell happened that made them move out, let alone <em>away </em>from the city?? Huh? Answer me!” she squawked, giving her uncle the death glare.</p><p>The billionaire seemed reluctant to confess, but his niece deserved to know about her middle son’s tragic demise.</p><p><em>Oh </em> <b> <em>Dewey</em> </b> <em>!</em> <em> I miss you </em> <b> <em>so much</em> </b> <em>, lad! </em></p><p>“H-Here’s the thing....” And so Scrooge explained thoroughly what occurred over these past few weeks.</p><p>Meanwhile, Donald gaped at the sight from afar. <em>Holy </em><b><em>shit</em></b><em>! Della is </em><b><em>back</em></b><em>?! But </em><b><em>how</em></b><em>?? </em></p><p>“The boys! They don’t know! I have to tell them!” he gasped before realizing they were still giving him the silent treatment.</p><p><em>It </em><em>doesn’t</em> <em>matter! They </em><b><em>still</em> </b><em>deserve to know, </em><strong><em>regardless</em></strong> <em>of how </em><em>mad</em> <em>they are at me! </em></p><p>“Don’t worry, Della. I’ll make this right, I promise—for you and the boys,” Donald vowed before running towards McDuck Manor.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So what did you think? I know I kinda rushed this chapter, but still. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. *Happy Birthday, Doofus Drake! (S2E18)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Instead of solemnly accepting his grounding, Doofus Drake chooses to do something more sinister....to Louie Duck.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yeah, I know. Another chapter where Louie dies, but the main characters in this episode were only Scrooge, Della, Huey, &amp; Louie. The others (Donald, Dewey, Webby, Beakley, &amp; Launchpad) didn't have much of a role in this episode.</p><p>I tried being more reflective in this chapter, so hope you like this one. :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****1 MARCH****</b>
</p><p>It was a beautiful and sunny day. The skies were shining, the birds were singing, and McDuck Manor was at peace after several days of utter chaos (what a surprise there 🙄).</p><p>The best part though? Della Duck was finally back on Earth after almost twelve years of forced isolation on the Moon. Yep, ‘cause that was fun! Spending an entire decade on a natural satellite with 1/6th of Earth’s surface gravity and arguably no atmosphere whatsoever (perhaps an exosphere, but it didn’t matter, ‘cause no living thing could breath in that space anyway).</p><p>Point being, she managed to escape and return to her home planet, expecting her family to accept the runaway pilot with open arms. In a way, they did, especially her sons (though Louie was a more complicated subject). In addition, she might’ve accidentally caused them to suffer (i.e. hearing loss, sugar overload) soon afterwards. </p><p>So Della must’ve missed something, right? What was she doing wrong? Ah ha! Another brilliant idea dawned in her mind. She needed to get to know her kids individually and not rush things! <em>That’s </em>what she was doing wrong! That’s what she needed to fix as soon as possible.</p><p>Of course, Della chose to bond with her middle son first—Turbo, if you will. It made sense considering Dewey was practically her child twin, sharing 90% of their personality traits. So it wasn’t that hard to bond with him, regardless of what monsters they were dealing with at the Doomsday Vault.</p><p>Jet was—well let’s just say he shared 50% of their overall characteristics. Huey however, was more down-to-earth and cautious, which often reminded Della of her twin brother Donald. So if they ever decided to argue one day....oh boy! Things would not end well! Don’t worry though. They never had a fight—yet, unlike—you know (cough <em>*</em>Timephoon<em>* </em>cough).</p><p>Rebel. Hmm....like I said before, Louie and Della shared an extremely frustrating dynamic, having barely 10% in common with each other. Unlike his brothers, the youngest triplet was not an open book. He was crafty, compelling, and highly experienced in the art of lying. Hell, Louie could lie his way out of a death sentence if he wanted to! It was too easy.</p><p>But alas, Della couldn’t figure him out, so she kept her distance while Louie kept his. Maybe in time, they’d learn to bond and set aside their differences. So what if Louie didn’t enjoy adventures that much? And so what if Della felt the opposite way? There had to be a middle ground, right? Yeah—they’d make it work!</p><p>Until that dreadful day—when Louie chose to team up with Goldie, attending Doofus Drake’s birthday party to steal a gift bag filled with 457 million dollars and 17 cents. Sadly, the boy fell for Goldie’s old tricks and was left penniless before planning on going back to the mansion.</p><p>On the bright side, Doofus was chastised for his actions, followed by his indefinite grounding thanks to his parents, the poor fellows who were forced to be his manservants, wearing butler outfits. If anyone deserved a dozen awards for enduring their son’s shit over the past few years, it was them.</p><p>However, instead of bitterly accepting his punishment, he immediately located the sharp end of one broken Stradivarius violin string that he destroyed last year and gripped it tightly in his sweaty palms, storming towards the robot who claimed to be Doofus’s brother and stabbed him in the back.</p><p>“Aaaaah! Oh no! My core processors are shutting down! Heeeeelp....!” B.O.Y.D. exclaimed fearfully before he lost his consciousness—permanently.</p><p>Mr. and Mrs. Drake let out horrific gasps, covering their mouths in earnest before glaring daggers at their biological son.</p><p>“Doofus, what did you <em>do</em>??!!” His father’s voice nearly broke as he choked out those words.</p><p>“N-No! B.O.Y.D.!” Doofus’s mother wailed, saltwater dripping from her eyelids and splashing onto the floor.</p><p>Louie started panicking as well, now that Goldie was no longer by his side. Sweat trickled down his cheeks as he frantically grabbed strands of his hair, pulling at them consistently.</p><p><em>What do I </em> <em>do</em><em>? What do I </em> <b> <em>do</em></b><em>?? </em></p><p>All of a sudden, an idea sprung in his head. <em>That’s</em><b><em> it</em></b><em>! </em>He beamed, grinning widely. <em>Oh this is </em><b><em>good</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>“Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Drake? I think I know someone who can fix B.O.Y.D., but he needs to come to my place first. Trust me, my brother knows a shit ton about robotics. Oh! I should probably call Gyro too and tell him what’s up,” the talented schemer suggested.</p><p>Unfortunately, the spoiled brat wasn’t having it. Unbeknownst to the rest, Doofus quickly grabbed a century-old spear as it practically skewered through Louie’s stomach in a matter of seconds. Rather than doing it once though, he stabbed him three more times until the youngest triplet was losing too much blood.</p><p>Hearing those disturbing sounds, the parents suddenly turned around and gasped in shock, breaths hitching. Immediately dialing 911, Doofus threatened to falsely accuse them of homicide if they exposed him to the police.</p><p>“Remember, I know where you live!” he warned in a low voice.</p><p>“Sweetie, you live <em>here</em>,” his mother reminded him shakily.</p><p>“SEMANTICS!” Doofus exclaimed furiously, causing both parents to yelp.</p><p>As soon as the ambulance had arrived, Louie was drifting on and off from consciousness. In his mind, Llewellyn wasn’t ready to die yet. He had much more to offer in this world and now his life was cut short. For <em>what</em>?? His conniving schemes? His dream of owning a get-rich-quick business instead of working hard to earn that kind of money? Is <em>that </em>what this was? Karma?? Probably.</p><p>On the other hand, Louie just wanted the pain to stop, and perhaps dying was the only escape. That way, he’d no longer be a nuisance to everyone, especially his own family. Scrooge wouldn’t be bothered by his demanding antics. Neither would his brothers, Donald, or even Della.</p><p><em>“C’mon, Uncle Scrooge, I need </em><b><em>more </em></b><em>money</em><em>! I <strong>can’t</strong> run a </em><em>business</em> <em>otherwise!” </em>He remembered saying to him repeatedly, though Louie phrased it differently each time. </p><p>Oh boy! What would the billionaire say now—what he told him a million times before?</p><p><em>“I </em> <em>told </em><em>ya </em><em>so</em><em>, lad! You’ve got to be </em> <b> <em>sharper</em></b><em>, not </em> <b> <em>greedier</em></b><em>!” </em></p><p>So dying must’ve been his punishment, right? Louie had to face the consequences sooner or later, and death was the ultimate choice. </p><p><em>I’m sorry I wasn’t </em> <b><em>good </em></b><em>enough</em><em>. And you were </em> <strong><em>right</em></strong><em>, Uncle Scrooge, but now you </em> <em>don’t</em> <em>have to </em> <em>worry about me</em> <em>anymore. Just </em> <b><em>promise </em></b><em>me</em> <em>you’ll </em> <em>take care</em> <em>of the others, okay. Thanks—</em><em>I <strong>love</strong> you guys</em><em>.</em></p><p>And then....BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! Yep—Llewellyn Duck’s time of death was 12:35pm. Despite not getting a chance to say goodbye to his family members and friends in person, he was satisfied with his final thought (as stated above).</p><p>Unfortunately for Doofus himself, the paramedics found out that he was the culprit and instantly called the police, who arrived five minutes later and exhaled in horror.</p><p><em>Oh my god! It </em> <b><em>can’t</em> </b> <em>be! </em></p><p>Officer Cabrera was in denial. If this really was Huey’s brother, the poor child would be crushed! Taking a closer look, her suspicions were confirmed. It was undoubtedly Louie Duck. </p><p>The policewoman felt bile rising in her throat. This was a <em>child</em>—an 11-year-old kid whom so many people had loved and cherished his whole life (well most of them). A child who was a little brother, a son, a nephew, a great-nephew, a best friend.</p><p>The boy wasn’t just another murder victim! He was her son’s best friend’s <em>baby brother</em>. And she couldn’t let him down. Louie would get justice at any cost! So Mrs. Cabrera gave Doofus the deadliest stare anyone had ever seen in their lives, approaching him with metal handcuffs and a taser (in case the brat tried to escape).</p><p>“Doofus Drake, you are under arrest for committing homicide on an 11-year-old child. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law....” Mrs. Cabrera recited.</p><p>“This isn’t fair! Mother, Father—DO SOMETHING!” Doofus protested loudly. </p><p>When they blatantly refused, he boomed, “You will <em>rue </em>the day! I swear to all my toys and Gummymama, you <em>will</em>!!”</p><p>Afterwards, the brat was sent to prison while Officer Cabrera pulled out her phone and dialed Scrooge’s number. Speaking of which, what were the others up to anyway?</p><hr/><p>“I will destroy you! Aah!” Huey declared at the top of his lungs.</p><p>“Huey, it’s done! You’ve slayed it....You’ve gone in too deep!” Della reminded him while he squirmed in her embrace.</p><p>She continued carrying her oldest son away from the living room and into the dining area, hoping he’d calm down from his bout of insanity. Some people might have called it <em>winner’s craze</em>—and they were probably right. Huey did love to win.</p><p>Anyway, Scrooge followed suit after a few seconds, looking for a glass of pep when suddenly, the telephone rang from the lobby. Was it an urgent call, the old man wondered? Oh yeah! But Scrooge wasn’t aware at the moment. Either way, he was curious, so he turned around and answered it.</p><p>“Hello?”</p><p>“Hi Mr. McDuck—this is Officer Cabrera. I-I’m afraid I have some bad news....”</p><p>At first, the billionaire laughed out loud ‘cause he thought it was a sick joke. There was no way Louie was killed by a spoiled little rich kid. That was impossible! Or was it? The paramedic right next to her drove the ambulance towards the front gate of McDuck Manor before ringing the doorbell.</p><p>Opening it, Scrooge blinked rapidly and shook the paramedic’s hand. “Ah yes. Hello, y-you must be the....”</p><p>“Yes, I’m Dr. Yellowbeak, and I see you already know Officer Cabrera,” she introduced herself, gesturing to the policewoman right next to her. The old man nodded before she revealed the dreadful sight behind them.</p><p>It was Louie alright, much to Scrooge’s horror. Oh god! It was definitely him. Multiple stab wounds were visible on his sides and near his abdomen. Approaching his youngest nephew while trembling violently, the billionaire placed his hand on top of Louie’s head and caressed it gently as the paramedic explained the situation in more detail.</p><p>“He was stabbed three times on his side and once through his stomach....”</p><p>“....” Yeah—Scrooge had absolutely no words after hearing that.</p><p>“We’re so sorry for your loss,” the medic concluded regretfully.</p><p>“....” Again, the old man was at a loss for words. </p><p><em>Louie is </em><em>dead</em><em>. He was </em><b><em>murdered</em></b><em>. He was </em><em>stabbed</em> <em>to death. Louie is </em><b><em>gone</em></b><em>. He is </em><b><em>never</em> </b><em>coming back. We’ll </em><em>never</em> <em>see him alive </em><b><em>ever </em></b><strong><em>again</em></strong><em>. </em></p><p>Scrooge uttered these sentences in his head like a mantra. His next thought was—what did he do wrong this time? What did Scrooge McDuck do to deserve this kind of suffering all over again?</p><p>Sadly, he didn’t have time to finish processing these questions as Della, Huey, Dewey, Webby, and Mrs. Beakley burst through the front door and dashed outside, wondering what all the commotion was about.</p><p>“Uncle Scrooge! Webby and I were playing Scrooge-opoly in the dining room when we heard these sirens blaring outside for like <em>five minutes </em>and—Uncle Scrooge?” Dewey exclaimed until he saw the billionaire’s distraught expression staring blankly at a gravely injured body who turned out to be....</p><p><em>Louie</em>?? No—that couldn’t be right. That wasn’t—no!</p><p>The middle triplet rushed over to the other side of the stretcher, followed by his big brother and best friend. Della and Bentina did the exact same thing seconds later.</p><p>Frowning in confusion, Dewey inquired, “W-Wait, why are there open cuts and bruises all over his abdomen area? Did he get stabbed?”</p><p>“I-I think so,” Huey nearly whispered, still in shock. He then put his hands on Louie’s cheeks and examined his pale face and deadpan eyes.</p><p><b><em>No</em></b><em>! Oh god! This </em><b><em>can’t</em> </b><em>be happening! He’s not—no, that’s </em><b><em>impossible</em></b><em>! Louie’s too </em><em>stubborn</em> <em>to die! </em></p><p>Della kneeled in front of her youngest son’s head and felt tears springing in her eyes, face twisting in grief and immense guilt for being absent most of his life. She couldn’t believe it though. Her baby boy who was full of life not even half-an-hour ago—was <em>gone</em>. </p><p>Now Della would never get to know him better. They’d never go on adventures together or celebrate holidays. Overall, all hopes of watching Louie grow up went down the drain. It was useless at this point. There was no going back.</p><p>“Hey baby,” she whispered with a sad smile, stroking Louie’s hair back after Scrooge retracted his own hand. “You can rest now, it’s okay,” the pilot added shakily before breaking down in soft sobs.</p><p>“I-I love you so much! I’m sorry—!” Della wept, planting a brief kiss on her son’s forehead before covering her mouth.</p><p>“H-Hey,” Huey finally said, stroking his baby brother’s cold cheek. But that’s all he could say before bending down to kiss Louie’s cheek as the waterworks started—silently, of course. </p><p>The Junior Woodchuck wasn’t able to process anything else at the moment. Everything was frozen in place. Nothing had moved. Nothing changed. Louie wasn’t waking up, so yeah. No big, dramatic speech about how much he loved his baby brother. Nope! Louie wouldn’t have been able to hear it anyway, so what was the point? There was nothing else to say.</p><p>Meanwhile, a huge lump formed in Dewey’s throat which prevented him from speaking. Instead, he took his little brother’s hand and pecked it as tears welled in his eyes, mouthing the phrase ‘goodbye bro’ before stepping back and letting Webby lean over her best friend’s corpse, blubbering uncontrollably while forming incoherent sentences.</p><p>The girl was a mess, regretting every single time she told Louie off, despite being right most of the time. But it didn’t matter now. Regardless of their friendship hurdles, Webby always knew Louie was a good person and wouldn’t intentionally hurt anyone. That was the beauty of befriending this talented con artist. They always learned a life lesson at the end of each encounter.</p><p>So screw it! Webby pulled out a sage-colored bracelet and wrapped it around Louie’s wrist, declaring that their friendship was endless, even after death.</p><p><em>You’ll </em><b><em>never</em> </b><em>be alone, Louie....I </em><b><em>promise</em></b><em>. </em>She vowed.</p><p>And now it was Scrooge’s turn. Technically, he was the first person in his family to find out about his nephew’s death—yet the last person to say goodbye.</p><p>“We’ll join you soon, lad. Don’t worry about a thing. You just have to be patient—like I taught you,” the old man promised, his own tears falling.</p><p>After Bentina’s goodbyes, the remaining triplets solemnly walked back to the mansion in tears, squeezing each others’ hands for comfort. Well—at least they weren’t alone. Huey and Dewey could grieve together and hopefully move on from this. But it would take a lot of time—months at least. Scrooge and Della held onto each other as well, also shedding more tears.</p><p>In the meantime, the paramedics drove away with the green triplet’s corpse. Mrs. Cabrera soon followed after promising to attend the funeral.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****6 MARCH****</b>
</p><p>Five days later, the El Pato Tropical Storm had reached the city with heavy showers and literal whirlwinds. All stores and malls were closed, including school campuses and more importantly—funeral homes. So the McDuck family couldn’t plan Louie’s funeral until the storm was over.</p><p>Not that things were grand for them in anycase. It was a hellhole altogether. In the living room, Della shared a tearful conversation with Scrooge over how she failed as a mother, glancing at her uncle with watery, bloodshot eyes.</p><p>“I-I didn’t spend enough time with him! I mean, w-what does that make me?! A <em>h-horrible </em>mom obviously! W-What kind of an idiot steals a rocket and gets lost in outer space one week before their kids hatch?? Oh wait, that’s me! A-And now he’s gone and I c-can’t—! W-Why did this happen? How could that monster take him away from me? F-From <em>us</em>?” she sobbed. </p><p>Della’s knees wobbled as she finally sat on the couch next to her uncle. Vice-versa, the billionaire quietly cried while listening to his niece’s heartbreaking rant. Afterwards, he decided to chime in with his own input.</p><p>“At least one good thing happened—we got the person responsible. And he will rot behind bars for the rest of his pathetic life,” Scrooge croaked, wiping his runny nose and swollen red eyes.</p><p>Despite the darkness looming over his head, there was a flickering light at the end of the tunnel, and that light represented hope and a possibility for things to be okay again. Even though Louie was physically gone, his memories would remain forever. And boy, most of them were happy and satisfying! But for now, he’d allow himself to openly grieve.</p><p>Elsewhere, the kids were pretty much doing the same thing, alternating between talking, sleeping, eating, and crying (emphasis on the latter). </p><p>Webby often consoled Huey and Dewey whenever they needed to let it all out, but she wasn’t gonna lie—it was hard watching her two best friends break down like this. They were usually the strong ones for her, but now she had to step up and take charge. <em>She </em>had to be the strong one this time.</p><p>“D’you guys want me to contact Dr. Gearloose and bring the A.T.C. here? Would that help?” Webby asked the boys that night.</p><p>FYI, the A.T.C. was an abbreviation for <strong>Alternate Timeline Communicator</strong>. It allowed communication between two or more more distinct timelines. As long as both timelines were divergent enough, they wouldn’t be affected at all. Anyway, leave that to Schrödinger’s Cat + the Many Worlds Theorem.</p><p>On the other hand, it also meant witnessing yourself from another timeline—and <em>others </em>(<b>*cough* </b>Louie <strong>*</strong><b>cough*</b>). I mean, seeing their baby brother alive and well again? Oh yeah! That was a grieving family member’s dream, right? Actually seeing their loved ones alive regardless of what timeline they were in?</p><p>However, Huey’s response was somewhat unexpected yet understandable at the same time.</p><p>“Um....m-maybe some other time, Webs. Right now, it’s too soon,” the eldest replied mournfully, rubbing his stuffy nose and baggy red eyes, tears still leaking out of them.</p><p>Honestly? Huey didn’t want to think about his deceased little brother right now, let alone <em>see </em>him. That meant going through the whole grief process all over again, and the poor guy was exhausted. He didn’t wanna cry anymore, but he couldn’t help it sometimes. It was all too much for an 11-year-old boy to handle. Both of them, in fact.</p><p>Dewey felt the opposite way. He was afraid that one day, he’d stop thinking about Louie and eventually forget he ever existed. No! Dewey couldn’t do that! He had to keep Louie’s memory alive somehow, even if it meant openly mourning over him for days on end.</p><p>So he said, “Actually, y-yeah. I wanna see him. W-Where is he?” The blue triplet’s voice was hoarse yet full of hope and optimism that he’d be able to see his little brother again.</p><p>“Oh. I haven’t called him yet. I just wanted to check with you guys first,” Webby admitted, pulling out her phone to dial Gyro’s number.</p><p>“Hi, Dr. Gearloose. This is Webbigail Vanderquack....”</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****18 MARCH****</b>
</p><p>It was instantly after the invasion had failed miserably. Donald’s reaction was a mixture of grief, remorse, and of course <em>anger</em>. Let’s just say there was a lot of squawking and cursing involved, mainly towards his uncle and sister because he wouldn’t dare target his nephews. They were too precious!</p><p>Luckily, Huey and Dewey managed to calm him down and explain the situation more specifically, defending their mom and great-uncle as much as possible. Webby and Mrs. Beakley followed suit.</p><p>Unfortunately, the sailor wanted some time alone to process the fact that his youngest nephew was—oh god! He couldn’t even <em>say </em>it! Death (and anything related to it) was the <em>worst </em>word in the English dictionary, according to him. The mere thought of it was disgusting and made him want to vomit all over the floor (thankfully he didn’t).</p><p>“I’ll—see you guys later,” he mumbled before heading inside the houseboat and locking his bedroom door, muffling his sobs and hiccups with both hands.</p><p><em>I’m </em> <b> <em>so sorry</em> </b> <em>, Louie! I’ve </em> <b> <em>failed </em> </b> <em>you</em> <em>! If I were a better uncle, if I had paid </em> <b> <em>more </em> </b> <em>attention</em> <em>, you would’ve still been </em> <b> <em>alive</em></b><em>! </em></p><hr/><p>
  <b>****22 MARCH****</b>
</p><p>“You sure you wanna do this?” Dr. Gearloose hesitantly asked.</p><p>“Yeah—I do,” Dewey answered, fiddling with his hands in anticipation. Surprisingly, Huey was right next to him, also anxious. Huh. I guess he changed his mind after all!</p><p>Anywho, several minutes later, the A.T.C. became active, though there was a lot of static noise on the other end.</p><p>“Alright! Testing, testing, testing! One—two—three! And yes! Here we are!” Gyro exclaimed loudly.</p><p>“H-Hello? Is uh—is this working?” said a <em>very </em>familiar voice. But was it—? No! Impossible! It couldn’t have been—and yet it was.</p><p>“L-Louie?” the oldest triplet stammered in shock, lips trembling violently. “I-Is that really you?”</p><p>Alternate Louie gasped as well, tears immediately escaping from his eyes. There were so many mixed emotions: grief, sorrow, anxiety, surprise, and joy.</p><p>“O-Oh my god!” he sobbed. “H-Hey guys! God, I just—! Oh I miss you so much! <em>Fuck</em>! I can’t—! I know I sound really pathetic right now, but I-I should’ve told you how much I—!”</p><p>But Huey and Dewey got the memo. Alternate Louie was about to say he loved his brothers and that it was hard living without them. And most of all, both brothers knew they were dead in the other timeline. Alternate Louie had to grieve over them whereas here, it was the other way around.</p><p>“W-We know. It’s okay, Lou. We love you too, and we’ll be okay soon. I-It’ll be okay,” Huey promised while bawling himself.</p><p>“I—! D-Don’t go....p-please!” the middle triplet begged tearfully. His big brother noticed this and wrapped his arms around him, leaning his head on Dewey’s shoulder, seeking comfort as well.</p><p>“I lo—” Louie’s words were cut off by the massive amount of static noise coming in. Sadly, the A.T.C. disconnected as a result, earning a <em>no </em>from the older two triplets.</p><p>Wincing guiltily, Gyro said, “Sorry guys. I-It’ll take a while to fix this. I’d say around a month or so.”</p><p>Noticing the boys’ grief-stricken expressions, he quickly added, “B-But I’ll work as fast as I can. Don’t worry. It’s not totally busted, so you’ll be able to see your brother again and—oh! Okay, you guys are hugging me now. I see. And now you’re making my shirt wet. Great.”</p><p>“T-Thanks for—you know,” Dewey whimpered, staring at the chicken with wide red-rimmed eyes.</p><p>“Yeah. I-I guess you’re not a robot after all,” Huey half-joked while blubbering like a baby.</p><p>“Ack! Okay okay! Stop making me feel stuff! Now please, kindly get off me,” Dr. Gearloose requested, voice cracking a little.</p><p>Was he feeling sympathy for these two ducklings? Nah! Did he secretly have a soft spot for them? Of course not! 😏</p><p>“No way!” Gyro exhaled in complete denial. 🤔</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****FLASHBACK (28 FEBRUARY)****</b>
</p><p>“I’m telling you, minions! This plan is <em>perfect</em>! I will lure Llewellyn all the way here and take my revenge for insulting Gummymama and betraying our friendship!” Doofus spat in his parents’ faces.</p><p>“Son, please stop making devious plans. Frankly, it upsets your mother,” Mr. Drake pleaded.</p><p>“I don’t care!” the brat seethed. “Tomorrow is my lovely birth-anniversary party, so don’t just stand there! Move!” he ordered harshly.</p><p>“This won’t end well,” the father whispered in his wife’s ear. Mrs. Drake nodded fervently in response.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yay! The A.T.C. is back! :)</p><p>In case you were confused about the other timeline involved in this chapter, that timeline is connected to the *Timephoon! (S2E21)* scenario in Chapter 7.</p><p>If you need more clarification, please let me know. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. *Escape From The ImpossiBin! (S3E13)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What if Webby didn't grab Mrs. Beakley hand on time before she fell off the roof?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey guys. This update took a lot longer than I thought it would, and I apologize for that. Turns out, November was also quite a busy month for me. The 1st half of December won't be any different though, 'cause of finals (uggh).</p><p>I rushed this chapter a little bit due to exhaustion, so please keep the criticism to a minimum. </p><p>In addition, the dates included are not super important, so comment about the story only! </p><p>Thank you! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****15 NOVEMBER****</b>
</p><p>Both of them were on the roof of McDuck Manor, fighting each other. In other words, Webby continued defending herself against Mrs. Beakley’s attacks, which was unlike her normally stoic personality.</p><p>All of a sudden, the housekeeper lost her balance and slid down the roof, gripping the edge like a lifeline.</p><p>“<em>Granny</em>!” Webby yelled before sprinting.</p><p>The others soon helped save Mrs. Beakley, but her grip became looser by the second....until —</p><p>“Aaaaah!” <em> CRACK</em>!</p><p>Yep. It was the same sickening sound that occurred in those other timelines, when Fenton’s spine broke or Della’s neck snapped.</p><p>“No no no!” the girl pleaded, spotting the blood surrounding her grandmother’s still frame.</p><p>“We need to get off the roof!” Donald ordered his nephews while following Webby’s footsteps.</p><p>Once they all reached the ground, Webbigail ran over and cradled Beakley’s head, searching her chest for a pulse.</p><p>“G-Granny?” she stammered, voice wobbling.</p><p>Meanwhile, the sailor frantically called an ambulance as Huey and Dewey quickly cleaned the red liquid using paper towels.</p><p>“Granny?” she tried again, stroking her grandmother’s cheek. Yep, still no response.</p><p>A few seconds later, the oldest triplet felt Beakley’s neck with two fingers, brushing them gently against her skin before choking back a sob.</p><p><em> No no no, </em> <b> <em>please</em> </b> <em> no! </em> He begged, tears collecting in his eyes.</p><p>As soon as Dewey saw those tears, he gasped softly and swallowed a lump in his throat, instantly shaking his head. </p><p>If Mrs. B was—no. She’d recover. She always did. For god’s sake, the woman was a highly-trained agent! Nothing could beat her! But to assume the worst? Jesus....Dewey couldn’t bear to say it, let alone <em> think </em> about it. </p><p>Although eventually—he had to ask, “I-Is she....?”</p><p>Huey gulped and nodded, twin tears falling down his face.</p><p>“N-No-ho! G-Gran....!” Webby began to sob. “P-Please wake up!”</p><p>Staring at his distraught friend, the red triplet crawled towards her and wrapped his arms around Webby’s waist from behind, squeezing her tight as she wept bitterly.</p><p>“Shh....” he cooed.</p><p>The blue triplet watched them sadly, not knowing how to offer his own comfort. He never experienced this sort of grief before, despite living without a mother for 11 years. </p><p>What Dewey <em> could </em> do, however, was be there for Webby no matter what. Yeah—he could help her get through this! After all, she trusted him the most, so the middle triplet felt confident.</p><p>But then Dewford remembered....<em>Mrs. Beakley’s....oh </em> <b> <em>no</em></b><em>. </em></p><p>The ambulance arrived anyway, but to no avail. Donald carefully pulled Webbigail away from Huey’s embrace as her harsh sobs filled his ears, causing him to wince. </p><p>Deep down, he couldn’t bear to watch his daughter-figure grieve so much. Neither did Huey or Dewey. She was too dear to them. But alas, Mrs. Beakley’s corpse had to be taken away.</p><p>After escaping the traps, Scrooge, Della, and Louie discovered the heartbreaking yet inevitable truth of Bentina Beakley’s demise. Louie witnessed his brothers crying quietly before hugging them, whereas Scrooge and Della wore forlorn expressions as Donald explained the whole situation.</p><p>Nothing was gonna be the same again. Webby was technically an orphan now, so the billionaire had to plan how to fix that. Until then, the family decided to mourn together—in their own ways.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****20 NOVEMBER****</b>
</p><p>Scrooge decided to cancel his trip to Istanbird (Turkey) due to recent circumstances (as mentioned above). He enlisted one of his top executives—not <em>Bradford</em> (since he was no longer trustworthy)—to take care of McDuck Enterprises in the meantime.</p><p>Elsewhere, the triplets leaned on Webby’s door, hearing her muffled sobs. This broke Dewey’s heart especially, since she was his best friend. Huey and Louie were sad too, struggling not to cry themselves.</p><p>“What should we do? Webby hasn’t eaten much lately, and I’m getting really worried,” Huey pointed out concerningly.</p><p>“She hasn’t left her room either. It’s not good for her health,” Dewey added.</p><p>“Or maybe we should just give her space, you know? Let Webby work things through without our interference,” Louie suggested.</p><p>The blue triplet simply gaped at him. “Seriously?”</p><p>The youngest raised his eyebrows in response. “Well yeah.”</p><p>“<em>That’s </em> your grand plan? To stay out of it?” Dewey exclaimed.</p><p>Louie sighed exasperatedly. “<em>Yes</em>. Geez Dew, keep up.”</p><p>“Here we go,” the oldest brother muttered, shaking his head while his brothers started whisper-arguing.</p><p>Instantly placing his hand on the doorknob, Huey opened it and let himself in. Locking the door, he quickly dusted his hands and slowly approached the girl lying on her bed, wiping her red eyes and wet cheeks.</p><p>“H-Huey?” Webby sniffled. “W-What are you doing here?”</p><p>“Just checking in,” he replied, smiling softly.</p><p>“Oh.” She paused for a moment, clearing her throat. “Okay. Um....I uh....I—” </p><p>Webby suddenly burst into tears again, and Huey felt the urge to hold her close and squeeze the pain away.</p><p>“I-I’m sorry! It’s just....h-how could I be s-so <em> stupid</em>?” she hiccuped loudly.</p><p>The red-clad duck was taken aback. </p><p>“What?” he asked gently.</p><p>“I-I should’ve—! I-I didn’t save her on time! It’s all my f-fault!” the girl elaborated tearfully.</p><p>“Oh Webs—no. It’s not....hey,” Huey immediately grabbed her hand and caressed it. “It’s <em> not </em> your fault.”</p><p>“B-But—!” she spluttered, voice completely choked up.</p><p>“No one blames you for what happened that night, especially us,” he explained. “It was an accident—a <em> horrible</em>, tragic accident—but it wasn’t your fault.”</p><p>“It—it’s not?”</p><p>“Of <em> course </em> not.” </p><p>Wait—that wasn’t Huey’s voice! Then who was it? Oh yeah, almost forgot—Dewey and Louie were there too, waiting outside....until they realized no one had left the room.</p><p>“He’s right, Webs,” the green-clad triplet added, walking to the opposite side of her bed.</p><p>“Besides, Huey and I were also there when it happened, but it wasn’t our fault either—right?” Dewey had a good point.</p><p>“N-No,” Webby answered hoarsely.</p><p>“Exactly, so it can’t be your fault either. Like Huey said, it was an <em>accident</em>,” the middle triplet emphasized.</p><p>To their surprise, her face scrunched up again as she bawled into her hands without stopping. Apparently, Webby cried herself to sleep as the boys cast bereaving glances in her direction.</p><p>“I’ll go downstairs and grab some snacks. You guys stay here and make sure she’s comfortable,” Huey instructed, his younger siblings nodding in agreement.</p><p>“D’you think she’ll be okay?” Louie pondered after five minutes.</p><p>“Yeah, I think so—but not anytime soon,” Dewey admitted, stroking the girl’s disheveled hair.</p><p>“What about Dr. Gearloose’s Alternate Timeline Communicator? Maybe Webby will feel better if she sees Mrs. B from another timeline,” the youngest proposed.</p><p>“Maybe....we’ll see. For now, let her rest. She’s been through hell this week,” the middle sibling answered tentatively.</p><p>“Yeah, she has.”</p><hr/><p>
  <b>****SAME DAY****</b>
</p><p>“Uh—Dr. Gearloose? We have a problem,” Fenton told him, fearfully pointing towards the broken gadget on the floor. Millions of shards were scattered everywhere.</p><p>Making a 180-degree turn, Gyro gasped loudly. “Holy shit! What happened?”</p><p>“I-I....it was an accident, I swear!” the younger scientist blurted out, panicking.</p><p>“You....you broke it!” the chicken exclaimed angrily. “You fucking idiot!”</p><p>“I’m sorry! I-It was an honest mistake!” Fenton tried to explain, but Gyro wasn’t having it.</p><p>“An honest <em> mistake</em>?? Are you fucking insane??!! Clean this up—NOW!!” he screamed.</p><p>Fenton flinched at his boss’ tone, nodding fervently while grabbing a duster. </p><p>“Y-Yes sir,” he stammered.</p><p><em> Don’t worry, Fenton. One day, he’ll realize your </em> <b> <em>true </em> </b> <em> value. Only </em> <b> <em>then</em> </b> <em> will he come around. </em> The superhero reassured himself.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>NOTIFICATION (as of Monday, 03/15/2021): I'm currently working on Chapter 22, but between school and having major writer's block, I know it's been a while since I've updated anything. Thank you all for understanding.</p><p>Stay safe and warm! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. *The Split Sword of Swanstantine! (S3E14)* What-If</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>While fighting against F.O.W.L. in Istanbird, Huey receives an severe injury.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm so sorry, everyone. This chapter took forever to write because I was extremely busy with other things (school, stress, etc), but now here it is. Enjoy! :)</p><p>A/N: My three OCs: July, Nina, and Thelma Duck, are related to the McDuck family, as seen previously.</p><p>P.S.: There is only one chapter left after this. I won't write for every single episode in general, but I wanted to thank you all for reading my death scenarios fic so far. :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>NOBODY’S P.O.V.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>****20 NOVEMBER****</b>
</p><p>For a moron, Steelbeak was surprisingly observant of every single move Huey made so far to stop him. It was beautiful to watch, because the boy was clearly embarrassing himself. This caused Steelbeak to laugh, hoping to humiliate the duckling even further.</p><p>But Huey refused to give up. <em> Not </em> <b> <em>now</em></b><em>! </em> He chided himself. <b> <em>Focus</em></b><em>, Huey! Protect the sword! </em></p><p>Yet after hours testing possible simulations inside his own mind (thanks to Lena’s extraordinary powers she received from Magica De Spell) and facing his inner demons, the 12-year-old was completely drained—mentally, emotionally, and physically. So when F.O.W.L. attacked them as a group, he barely moved an inch.</p><p>Steelbeak grinned viciously, another plan set in stone. His eyes locked onto Huey’s tired ones as he took an opportunity to knock him out with his fist brushing against the boy’s left cheek. Before anyone else could react, Steelbeak grabbed the sword with a firm grip and pierced Huey’s stomach.</p><p>The 12-year-old’s dark brown eyes bulged out of his sockets, tears of pain streaming down his face. The red liquid clogged Huey’s throat, unable to speak without throwing up. <em> This </em> <b> <em>can’t</em> </b> <em> be happening! I’m </em> <b> <em>not</em> </b> <em> ready yet! </em> <b> <em>Please</em></b><em>, I don’t wanna die! </em></p><p>God, he was terrified! Huey had so many experiences—so much unfulfilled potential he had yet to explore. He wanted to discover other worlds, become a Senior Woodchuck, fall in love, start his own family, share his past experiences with future generations. </p><p>Now those opportunities were thrown out the window. The lad knew he was dying, and there was nothing anyone could do to prevent it. <b> <em>Fuck</em></b><em>! I guess this is it then. </em></p><p>Webby, Lena, and Violet let out stifled gasps, the latter struggling to hold back tears. <em> No no </em> <b> <em>no</em></b><em>! Oh god! Please let him live! </em> <b> <em>Please</em></b><em>....! </em></p><p>Dewey and Louie felt bile rising in their throats, rushing towards their brother to stop the bleeding. The youngest triplet frantically dialed 112 while Dewey slapped Huey’s other cheek twice, urging him to stay awake.</p><p>“Don’t you dare—don’t you <em> dare </em> give up!” the blue triplet growled, water collecting in his own eyes. </p><p>Huey stirred, wincing as he tried to move his body to a more comfortable position. Nope! The pain was too much. <b> <em>Ow</em></b><em>! </em> He grimaced, clutching his side. </p><p>“Hue?” Louie said softly, nudging his oldest brother. That’s when Huey spotted his brothers, teary-eyed and afraid.</p><p>“G-Guys?” he choked out. “I-I — ”</p><p>“Shh....don’t talk. Save your strength, bro,” Dewey whispered pleadingly.</p><p>“I-I’m sorry....I-I didn’t m-mean to screw up even <em> more </em> — ” Huey began coughing up blood, causing Louie to look away. The youngest felt like throwing up, seeing his big brother in so much pain.</p><p>“Wait what?” Now Dewey was confused. <em> What is he talking about? </em></p><p>“The Duke of Making a Mess,” Lena explained.</p><p>“Oh,” Dewey realized. He knew what she was referring to, as the middle brother witnessed Huey’s Duke-like outbursts several times before. But now wasn’t the time to remember such things. His big brother’s current condition was much more important. </p><p>Webby and Violet instantly offered to stem the flow of blood from Huey’s side while Lena briefly described what happened to both of them in the last hour. The younger two triplets exchanged surprised glances. Too bad that feeling was short-lived.</p><p>“So now what?” Louie asked apprehensively. “We can’t leave him like this. He’s losing too much blood! And the ambulance is taking <em> forever</em>!”</p><p>“Louie, calm down — ” Dewey tried telling him, but to no avail.</p><p>“Don’t tell me to <em> calm down</em>! Huey’s hurt and it’s all our fault!” the green triplet countered, his hands flailing everywhere.</p><p>“What — ”</p><p>“I should’ve seen it coming! I could’ve stopped Steelbeak from stabbing him, but I didn’t see the angles! I <em> failed</em>....!” Louie explained, his voice breaking near the end. The boy pulled at his own hair, breaths becoming shorter. </p><p>Sensing an anxiety attack, the blue triplet grabbed Louie’s shoulders to keep him steady. “Dude, you gotta take deep breaths and—no, Lou—<em>look </em> at me.” The said triplet obeyed.</p><p>“Now’s not the time to panic. Huey needs us,” Dewey firmly told him.</p><p>“But what if—what if he....” Louie stuttered fearfully.</p><p>“He <em> won’t</em>—not on my watch,” his brother swore.</p><p>On the other hand, Scrooge saw red, sniffing loudly to express his pure rage. Steelbeak injured someone he cared about very badly, and he wasn’t gonna let him off the hook.</p><p>“Steelbeak!” he hollered. “You better pray that nothing happens to my boy! If he goes....!” the billionaire promised in a low voice. While F.O.W.L. didn’t take his threat seriously, the kids gulped loudly, afraid that Scrooge would turn into a vengeful murderer if Huey—well, you got the jist.</p><p>Anyway, the ambulance finally arrived three minutes later to examine the oldest triplet’s open wound.</p><p>“Yep, still leaking,” the paramedic thought out loud, carefully bandaging Huey’s stomach.</p><p>“Now what do we do?” Her partner asked.</p><p>“Put him on the bed,” she instructed. “He’s in critical condition and needs immediate surgery.”</p><p>“Right. On it.”</p>
<hr/><p>Three hours later, the McDucks sat in the waiting room while the doctors performed intensive surgery on Huey’s abdomen. Lena and Violet squeezed Webby’s hands from each side, hoping to provide some reassurance. <em> Huey will be </em> <b> <em>fine</em></b><em>! </em> She tried convincing herself, but to no avail. Guess Webby’s boundless optimism was limited after all.</p><p>In the meantime, Scrooge cradled his youngest two nephews while they slept, their heads on his lap. He then contacted Donald and Della to inform them of the situation, which resulted in quacks of outrage and immense worry.</p><p>“What do you mean Huey was <em> stabbed</em>?! You could’ve easily prevented this if you had just turned around!” the sailor accused him.</p><p>“Lad, I — ” the billionaire tried to explain, but Donald cut him off.</p><p>“Typical Scrooge! Only cares about adventures and his fucking investments!” he spat with absolute disgust.</p><p>“Donald! I know you’re angry, but the lads need both of you right now,” the old man said desperately.</p><p>“Uncle Scrooge is right. We should go,” Della suggested despite his protests, dragging her brother towards the spare jet as soon as Donald hung up the phone. Mrs. Beakley soon followed as the trio set their destination to Istanbird (Turkey).</p><p>Once they arrived, Della began asking a million questions regarding her oldest son’s injury, to which her uncle revealed was more severe than she initially anticipated. On the flipside, Donald crossed his arms, giving Scrooge the silent treatment. But overall, he was more concerned about Huey. <b> <em>Please</em> </b> <em> let him be okay—because I </em> <b> <em>can’t</em> </b> <em> go through this again! </em></p><p>Coincidentally, the surgeons entered the room with somber expressions on their faces, indicating the worst-case scenario. Della and Dewey were the first to react, exchanging confused glances before eyeing the medical professionals.</p><p>“No—Huey’s <em> fine</em>. He always is!” the middle triplet argued, chuckling in denial.</p><p>“Son, there’s no easy way to say this but — ”</p><p>“My brother wouldn’t just <em> give up </em> like that. I’m telling you, sir—he’s not dead,” Dewey interrupted, growing impatient.</p><p>The surgeon sighed helplessly, quietly ushering his colleague to move the bed to the entrance. The whole family gasped as they witnessed Hubert’s closed eyelids, limp hands swinging from each side like a corpse. At first, it seemed like a sick joke....but sadly it was true.</p><p>“My baby....” Della whispered, distress building in her own stomach. <em> No, </em> <b> <em>Huey</em></b><em>! Not my </em> <b> <em>son</em></b><em>, please! </em></p><p>“No....” Donald exhaled shakily. <em> My nephew is </em> <b> <em>gone</em></b><em>! </em></p><p>“Lad....” Scrooge breathed in shock. <em> Huey’s dead—Huey’s </em> <b> <em>dead</em></b><em>. </em></p><p>“W-Wait, Huey’s—” Louie couldn’t bear to finish his sentence, already tearing up. <em> This </em> <b> <em>can’t</em> </b> <em> be happening! </em></p><p>“N-No, he can’t be!” Webby whimpered, barely containing her own tears. “It’s not fair!” <b> <em>No</em></b><em>! My little brother....! </em></p><p>Violet’s jaw dropped as saltwater trickled down her cheeks. She continued sobbing silently as Lena wrapped both arms around her, whispering words of comfort.</p><p>Observing everyone else’s reactions, the blue triplet groaned in annoyance. “Urgh! For the last time, Huey is <em> not </em> dead! It’s obviously one of F.O.W.L.’s fucked up tricks to distract us from catching them!”</p><p>Louie fell to his knees and started bawling uncontrollably, choking out his big brother’s name. Donald held the lad close to his chest from behind as Webby joined them, caressing her friend’s hair.</p><p>“N-No, there’s g-gotta be a way to—!” the green-clad triplet blubbered. “He c-can’t be gone, Webby. He just <em> can’t</em>!”</p><p>“Shh—I know,” she whispered tearfully.</p><p>Though Dewey stood by his previous statement, the middle triplet hated hearing his little brother cry, so he sighed hopelessly and tried again. “Guys, Huey isn’t — ”</p><p>Webby interrupted him, shaking her head. “Not now, Dewey.”</p><p>“But I’m <em> telling </em> you — ” he repeated.</p><p>At this point, she stood up and screamed, “Just SHUT UP!” </p><p>Everyone gasped, temporarily snapping Louie out of his crying spell as he lifted his tearstained face, red eyes gazing at her. Holy crap! That backbone came out of nowhere!</p><p>“Huey is DEAD, Dewford! Face the facts!” the teen bellowed, panting heavily afterwards.</p><p>There was a moment of silence, until Dewey found his voice again, struggling to respond with 100% confidence. “Webs, listen....I-I know — ”</p><p>“Oh, you <em> know</em>? Good,” she cut him off tersely, avoiding eye contact while folding her arms.</p><p>Suddenly, the triplet girls barged in, panting heavily.</p><p>"Sorry guys, our flight didn't land on time, but Launchpad didn't pick us up and....what's going on? We've received tons of messages, but none of them came through," July explained.</p><p><em>Something's <strong>wrong</strong>.</em> Thelma noticed.</p><p>"Wait—where's Huey?" The McDucks stared at each other before returning their gaze to the older triplets.</p><p>Meanwhile, Della felt her knees buckle as she fell to the ground. Her oldest son, her little ball of sunshine—was <em> gone</em>. And that’s when the pilot finally allowed herself to cry too, followed by everyone else (except for Dewey who remained quiet).</p>
<hr/><p>
  <b>****22 NOVEMBER****</b>
</p><p>Two days later, the blue triplet finally succumbed to his own tears, accepting the fact that his big brother was no longer alive. </p><p>“I-I’m sorry, Huey. Please come back!” he wept loudly. Louie hugged him tight while Dewey wiped his puffy red eyes. Webby gave her best friend an apologetic look, rubbing soothing circles on his back.</p><p>“Sorry I yelled at you yesterday. I know how much you miss him,” she whispered. Louie smiled, proud that both of them made amends.</p><p>Looking up, he thought: <em>Don't worry, Hue. We've <strong>got</strong> this.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Once again, I rushed this chapter, but at least it was okay....I think.</p><p>Anyway, to recap:<br/>- July Duck = Webby's doppelgänger (physically and vocally)<br/>- Nina Duck = May's doppelgänger (physically and vocally)<br/>- Thelma Duck = June's doppelgänger (physically and vocally)<br/>- They're exactly 1 year older than Huey, Dewey, &amp; Louie (b. 04/15), but younger than Webby.</p><p>Last Part:<br/>- Chapter 23: *The Last Adventure! (S3E22)* What-If</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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